My bloodline ends with me.... the dramatic way to let people know.

I read an article the other day (I can't remember which website?), written by a woman who doesn't want kids and was being chastised for it. Because apparently, when you're a woman, the only thing you should want in life is to be a mother.

It's ok, dude. I get it all the time.

You see, my mother was the best mother. And I know almost everyone thinks and says that about their mother, but when I say it, it's true. I am a firm believer that some people are born to be mothers.... and some are not.

One of the things that I deal with the most in life, is when people ask me when I'm going to have kids. Once someone learns that you have no plans for children or that you don't want them, they seem to make it their lifelong goal to ensure that you do in fact reproduce.

Why it's so important to other people what pops out of my vagina, I'll never know, but I guess that's one of the great mysteries of life that I'll never solve.

If it were possible, I would have Robert Stack narrate my life.

You see, I've never wanted kids. I once had to write a paper for my "senior project" (in high school.... so many moons ago) detailing what I thought my life would look like in ten years, and actually had to write a second paper, because the first one came off so sarcastic. So yeah, two papers. One truthful and one completely made up.

But, when you tell people that you don't want kids, they look at you like you have six heads. And then you get to hear the best of the best with shit like:

"I don't know how you can feel that way, I've always wanted a family."
"You'll change your mind."
"That'll all change when you meet the right person."
"Everyone thinks they can't be a mother, but once you hold that baby in your arms...."
"Do you hate all children?"
Are you too selfish to have children?"
"Who will take care of you when you're old?"
"Parenting is the best job in the whole world! You'll be missing out."
"What if your husband decides he wants kids? You know, people get divorced over that."

Well, my answers to those inquiries are quite simple really:

I don't feel like a family is just parents and children. There are many kinds of families, whether bound by blood or not, that truly love each other and would do anything for the other.

I'm not going to change my mind. Have you met me? Once my mind is set, it's there and there's no going back. I'm too stubborn and set in my ways to turn it around now.

And frankly, I have met the right person. If I was going to have children, it would be with D, because I know he would be a fantastic dad. But, I still don't want kids.

You know what makes me happy when I hold it in my arms? Puppies, burritos, and booze. Not necessarily in that order. We are all entitled to our happiness and who is one person to determined what happiness is for another?

No, I don't hate all children. I love my nephews dearly and brag about other children until I'm blue in the face. I just don't want to have any of "my own." And that doesn't mean that I don't love them or that I would ever hurt a child. Just because you love something, doesn't mean you want it. I love Mexican food, but that doesn't mean I want to sit down and eat fifty burritos every day for the rest of my life. Why? Because that's expensive and will cause stomach problems.

Call it selfish if you want. I feel truly horrible for the people that want to be mothers and can't. My heart goes out to them and I wish them all the hope, love, and encouragement from the deepest and most sincere part of myself. But, just because I want that for them, doesn't mean that I want it for myself.

I don't know who will take care of me when I'm old. Hopefully I'll be able to take care of myself or just randomly kill over one day and won't be a bother to anyone else. Besides, who's to say that if I were to have children, that they wouldn't be little shits of human beings and would actually take care of me when I'm old anyways?

You know what the best job in the world is? Puppy daycare runner. I don't know if that's a legit title or not, but I'm currently looking into it as we speak.

I know where my husband fiance stands on kids. He's always wanted kids. And don't think for one minute that we haven't had that talk, because we have. In fact, we have that talk at least once a week, because I don't want him to feel like he's missing out on anything, and honestly, that's the kind of talk you really should have BEFORE you get married. I want to be able to give him everything that he wants in the world and to make him unconditionally happy, but I also am not going to have kids just to please someone else. Maybe that's selfish? Maybe that's just realistic. Either way, we both know where one another stands on the subject and we've learned to not only live with it, but understand it.

D has always wanted ten kids. I've never wanted any. We compromised and have three dogs (with him trying to sneak in a fourth). And our lives revolve around those pups. And I wouldn't have it any other way. If D wants it another way, he knows that he can tell me. We're very open and honest about our future with each other. Always have been.

So, quit saying that I'm missing out. Quit trying to make me feel bad for not wanting kids. Stop trying to change my mind and if you don't like all of my answers, then maybe you shouldn't bring up the subject. And if you feel like it's something you want for your life, don't just assume that every other person around you wants the same thing.

Why?! BECAUSE MY BLOODLINE ENDS WITH ME. That's why.