Being a woman is hard, especially when society is constantly telling us how to be a good one.
Success as a woman is most often portrayed with children. A lot of people think of having kids as a final goal in life, as something you’re supposed to do. It’s the norm.
Whenever I tell someone that I don’t want to have kids, I get a strange look, a judgemental one. I hear the same responses over and over: “Oh, you’ll change your mind,” or something along the lines of “How will you be fulfilled and happy without kids?”
It can be insulting to hear that people think women don’t have much worth beyond being a mother. I feel as though it is very ingrained in society that the sole purpose of existing on Earth is to reproduce, raise kids, and nurture a family. It raises eyebrows when a woman doesn’t want to have kids. “Like, are you heartless?” Well, I can like and appreciate kids without having my own. I can be kind and compassionate without wanting a baby. I can be fulfilled and successful on my own.
This prehistoric idea that women should have kids to fulfill their purpose does not take into account transwomen or women who can’t have kids, even if they want to. Every day we progress further away from traditional lifestyles. I love this for the world, but I wish more people would recognize the possibilities of having a wonderful life alone.
One thing that I love about humans is that everyone is different. Some women are amazing mothers who were destined to raise children, and others are not. As a woman who doesn’t want to have children, I can’t wait to live a happy and successful life full of adventure and alone time. No matter what you choose, you are just as important and purposeful as anyone else.