And now, a rare opinion piece

Generally, I keep my online interactions as free of conflict as I can manage, with the result that I don't often take strong positions publicly anymore. Generally, I prefer to try to see things from the perspective of those articulate people I read whose opinions differ from mine in order to learn more about them, more about the subject, and more about myself. Generally, I choose to remain silent rather than stir the pot where integrity allows it.

Generally, rules have exceptions, and today is the exception.

For whatever reason(s), I have within the past week been exposed to varying degrees of disrespect for my choice to have become a mother, in person and online. And let me state very clearly that I did CHOOSE to become a mother. 3 times. I have given birth to 3 children and am doing my level best to raise them into people I like hanging out with.

That said, I have absolutely no interest in whether anyone else on this planet chooses to do so. I have friends of all stripes, ages, preferences and opinions and I like to believe that I am able to respect our differences as well as our common humanity. Your choice NOT to become a parent does not in any negative way color my opinion of you. In fact, if anything, being in the parenting trenches myself, I completely respect people who acknowledge that they do not wish to take on that responsibility. Because people who have children and then abdicate that responsibility piss me off like very few other things, one of them being people who take on a pet and then abdicate that responsibility. That behavior gives me RAGE.

To be clear, then: I have nothing but respect (and occasional envy) of people who remain childless by choice. I expect nothing but respect in return.

AND I'LL NOW TELL YOU WHY: Do you expect to have doctors, golf courses, banks, grocery stores, airline pilots, waiters, baristas, scientists, government services, hotels and other such niceties when you are old and retired? I'll bet you do. And on whose backs do you think those duties will fall? MY CHILDREN and their generation, thankyouverymuch. If I and other "breeders" didn't create and contribute them to your future society, you could have a pretty miserable old age.

In closing then, do what you want. I'm cool with it. You should be too. But don't you DARE give me shit about having done what I want. Especially since you will one day benefit from it.