Im glad that I made the decision not to have children. Im now 70 years old, and I have absolutely no regrets about it.
Recently, I had an appointment with a dermatologist. While waiting in the corridor for my turn, I struck up a conversation with a woman sitting next to me. She turned out to be wonderful company, and whats remarkable is that our chat shifted my perspective on a lot of things.
The first thing I noticed about her was how immaculately dressed and stylish she lookedI guessed she couldnt be older than 50. To my surprise, during our conversation, she admitted she was already well past 70. If she hadnt said, I never would have believed it; she looked fantastic and stood out from her age group.
She told me her name was Maureen Bennett and shared that shes been married twice, but now lives by herself. With her first husband, shed separated quite early in life. From the very beginning, she made it clear she didnt want children.
Her husband knew from the start she was intent on a child-free marriage. But after she turned 30, he began dropping hints about having children, saying a family isnt truly complete without them. The maternal urge never kicked in for her, and she held firm to her decision.
For Maureen, it was much easier to separate than to have a child out of obligation. They spoke openly, and both agreed to go their separate ways.
Maureen later married a divorced gentleman. He already had a child from his previous marriage and wasnt keen on having more. In that sense, their relationship worked well; the subject of children never came up. In fact, he was pleased she didnt want kids either. Sadly, they werent together longher second husband died in a car accident.
Maureen confided that she doesnt find loneliness difficult at all. Quite the oppositeshes content and enjoys not having to compromise for anyone. Shes retired now and convinced shell never regret her choices.
Many of her friends once hoped their children would look after them in their old age, but now sigh with disappointment. Their children have grown up and moved on, with lives of their own, often having little time for their elderly parents. Thats precisely why she never wanted children and has never reconsidered that decision. Now, Maureen is living a full and satisfying life, savouring every moment. The absence of children is a joy, not a burden.
A glass of water? she said, with a wry smile.
I wont be left hungry or ill, she continued. While my friends spent all their money on their children, I was able to save. Now, my savings are more than enough to pay for care when the time comes!
What do you think? Do you agree with her point of view?
