As this is American Thanksgiving I thought it would be fitting to focus for a while on giving thanks and counting our blessings – childfree and otherwise. I try to always remember how blessed we are. And I want you to know that I extend the same blessings to you that have been bestowed upon me.
Having you in my life, and being able to share my thoughts on being childfree with you is something for which I’m very grateful. Reading your comments, your insights and life stories is inspiring, and I’m also grateful for that.
I am grateful for many things in my life. When it comes to being childfree I’m thankful that we live in a part of the world where we are free to exercise our choice to be childfree. And even though it’s far from a conversation starter at your average party and may cause leaden silences at the family dinner table, we are still free to choose. Where people have a problem accepting our choice, we have the wisdom to know that it’s their problem, not ours. It’s not to say our choice is easy… in many cases as the road less trodden, it’s not easy at all. Nevertheless we have the freedom to choose. Because of that I can live my life the way that’s best for me… and not the way someone else says is best for me.
Being childfree brings its own benefits and I’m grateful for every one of them. While we may be faced this holiday with people telling us we’re lacking “something” because we don’t have children (yes, it’s coming up to that time of year) we have the power to let it all roll off us. Because we’re thankful for ALL our blessings…It’s so important to take a moment to be grateful for what we do have because only when we give thanks for what we have can we be in a position to
attract more of it. I want to master the feeling of authentic gratitude because I know it’s central in helping me live a truly fulfilling life. So, even though we’re not celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada (it was in October) it’s still an opportunity for me to write down all the things I’m thankful for and look forward to being thankful for many many more.
Happy Thanksgiving to our US readers!
As always, feel free to share your thoughts and comments.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Britgirl, thank you so much for this blog. I’ve read through many of your posts in the past few days and am so thrilled to find like-minded people.
I’m a woman who is and plans to stay childfree but have already had my share of explaining my reasons to people who are just flabbergasted to how I could have these views. I’m not currently going to church (though I was pondering going back and being a regular) but after reading your article on how churches often feel about the childfree I’m starting to wonder if maybe I’m better off as I am now. I’ve had my qualms with church life and the mob mentality of some Christians and what you say makes sense based on my experiences.
So in the heart of Thanksgiving, thanks again for your blog. It is a gold mine to many of us trying to get away from the sometimes overwhelming pressure to conform to the will of the majority.
I second that, FreeWillMatters! Britgirl, this is the first blog I’ve taken a (small) part in because it’s great to discover how many women really feel like we do. You rock!
Happy Thanksgiving from the UK. Stick to your guns, girls!
I’m glad we don’t have Thanksgiving in Europe because my CF status, totally misunderstood by my family, has made me become somewhat allergic to family events.
But I am certainly grateful, among many other things, for having the choice to be CF!
My husband and I don’t have family nearby but our friends are our chosen family. And I am greateful for those wonderful people with whom we can share the holidays. I think for CF’s, friends are more important and precious than they are for parents because, usually, they are our family.
Thank your for the holiday greetings! Back at you for your Canadian holiday! I too am thankful for many things–one of which is finding such a cool community of people to share with and learn from. I am also thankful that we live in a time where we really can define ourselves and our reality as we wish and carve out the life we believe will make us most fulfilled. Is it frustrating and uncomfortable sometimes? Sure, but hey, it beats going along to get along while your soul withers and dies. Plus, the more we speak out and stand out the more others will feel comfortable doing the same. Which is why what you do BritGirl is truly great!
For the people who come here who have suffered painful rejection or repudiation by your significant other for not seeing the world through their pre-programmed and distorted lens, I just want to say please be thankful for being true to yourself because that is a gift that will bring great things into your life–including people who appreciate you for all that is good and wonderful in you. The less time you spend trying to convince others to accept you, the more time you have for people who will and already do think that you rock!
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks to God for the harvest and express gratitude to others for our many blessings. While historically religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday
We don’t have Thanksgiving here in New Zealand, but we are obviously missing out! I hope you guys in the USA get a public holiday with Thanksgiving.