Catherine:

A couple of things to note.

1. I wonder if people haven't responded to this post because not a lot of single/childless women read LifeTwo...

The ratio of people who read vs. those who comment can range from 100 to 2,500. We've found that even posts that resonate with people won't always generate comments. Not sure if it's the nature of the Internet or this site but the vast majority of people are just more comfortable reading what others have written than even leaving a "me too" comment. That said, one day someone wrote about their wife's midlife crisis and we are now over 400 comments. We believe that as time goes on people will become more and more comfortable with contributing to the conversation.

The best thing to do is to write what you feel and know that hundreds (and more typically thousands) are reading it.

2. I think your observation about being childless in middle age is spot on.

I just had lunch with a good friend who I hadn't seen in a few years. After we got past the pleasantries the topic of children came up. He told me that he and his wife had decided no kids. It was clear that he and his wife lead meaningful lives and are quite happy. Having children is just not right for them. Yet, given the social pressures that you discussed above, they probably feel the need to justify their decision though they certainly don't owe anyone an explanation.

3. Meaning of life.

Believe me. Having kids doesn't end the "meaning of life" introspection. This comes from personal experience as well as I observe running LifeTwo. I just finished reviewing Alan Alda's new book. Here is a successful guy with several kids and many many grandchildren, and he still grapples with meaning of life--so much so that he dedicates a book to it.

Wesley Hein
Wesley [at] lifetwo [dot] com
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