gasping

You could hear the gasp across the room.

“You don’t want children?!” (Note: this was not said in English as it took place at the shower I can’t stop yapping about — the (loud and shocked) gasp however needs no translation.)

Well, she asked. ‘She’ being an older relative who was very concerned about my aging ovaries. Very concerned and not just a little nosey, I might add — it was not me who started this little chit chat about babies in the line for dessert. My non-Macedonian friends don’t believe me when I tell them the kinds of things my relatives say to me. Trust me — they’re really like this.

I explained that really I didn’t and and I never have. Oh the shame! You could see it in her eyes. She practically lunged at me.

I don’t think I’m missing anything. Mind you, I think parents are great and I respect the hard and important job they have. I just don’t want that hard and important a job. I’d prefer an easy and carefree hobby.

I want to sleep in, go out for late brunches, vacation often and spend all my money on me me me. (This is not actually true, I do believe in giving to causes and only one of them is Christine’s new footwear fund — the others give me tax receipts.)

Parenting is very serious business and it’s not for everyone. There is no shame in this — indeed it’s very freeing to know your own mind and not stumble into parenthood because you are just supposed to…

It’s an option. A choice.

And there is nothing wrong with deciding not to have children.

Mind you, I did not tell any of this to my relative … I ran away after she lunged at me. There’s no point in stirring the pot in a room full of ladies hellbent on celebrating marriage and babies.

Plus, she was ready to pull me by the Fallopian tubes and drag me into a corner to try and talk some sense into me.