How do you identify? Childless or childfree? What does it mean? Everything and nothing of course.

As relationships evolve over the course of our lifetimes, we're called on to navigate transitions that can be challenging.

Being single and childless is a lonely experience…

The beautiful table I had so carefully set for my life was flipped. On this table I had created a beautiful place for family, chosen family, adventure, faith, love, creativity to come together to dine. This was my beautiful life.

Things you need to know about me - I’m 11 years single, almost 45, an only child with parents that have been married for 53 years.

I am now single after my last relationship which has lasted 15 years. I'm not a young girl anymore. I left this relationship at 55 years old. Now it's been 2 years since then.

Family#1 can't do all 4 weeks in July because the spouses extended family visits and that's important. (annual)

Being childless and single is double the loss, pain and heartache.

Ten years ago - new year 2012 - I embarked on the project ”finding mr right”.

Before sunrise on a cold,snowy morning this past winter, my best friend, my precious mother, passed away with my father, younger brother, his wife, and I at her side.

I am childless and I am single. The first is a fact for the rest of my life, the second may change yet.

I started my infertility Journey at 26 after being diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Syndrome (early menopause) and adoption didn’t work out with the home study process being to much for me.

Single? No kids? Remember that time you went to hospital, and you had no idea who your emergency contact was? No? Welcome to my world.

“You should be a mother,” my six-year-old niece Keira said to me recently.

Right now I’m superconcerned about this, the parking stall looming in my side mirror; have I got the right angle? I crank the gear into reverse.

When a new acquaintance first discovers that I don’t have children, the following things tend to happen:

If you are reading this hoping for a romantic love story, or self help guide on finding Mr Right, you are looking in considerably in the wrong place.

“Auntie MK, want to build a sand sculpture gallery?” The answer is always yes. Children naturally practice presence and mindfulness in the most beautiful ways, giving transcendental meditators a run for their money.

Both adoption and biological conception are a part of my journey. After eight years of trying to build a family, a disrupted foster-adoption brought my dreams of motherhood to an end.

Finding out I was never going to be able to conceive a child naturally in my early 20’s was somewhat of a bizarre experience.

Trapped inside a snowglobe:
Always cold,
Always snowing.

How did I end up single and childless at 40? I ask myself this everyday. I wake up each morning wondering how this happened, and I go to bed each night with no concrete answer.