Hello, my name is Anne. In the office where I work, conversations flow over steaming cups of coffee and lively lunch breaks. I’m often the quiet one, listening as everyone shares stories of sleepless nights, birthday parties, and first soccer games. For my colleagues, these moments weave seamlessly into the fabric of their lives. For me, they serve as subtle reminders of an unspoken gap—a distance that seems to grow wider with each story. It’s not anything I’ve done that makes me feel invisible here; it’s simply that I don’t have children.
Feeling unseen in a world that revolves around parenting is deeply isolating. As a child-free woman, whether by choice or circumstance, I often feel pushed to the edges of social conversations—in workplaces, communities, even family gatherings. It’s as if the assumption that everyone is or wants to be a parent is woven so tightly into society that those of us who don’t fit the mold are left living on the outskirts.
As someone without kids, I dread the Monday morning question, “How was your weekend?” While I’d love to share stories of the hike I went on or the book I finally finished, I hold back. These stories seem small next to tales of high school sports events or family outings. Instead, I’ve learned to........