What’s a girl to do? The career demands long hours and work into the night. The husband just wants a cooked meal on the table. Daily reporter Amy Remeikis takes a light-hearted look at finding the right balance between work and family as a young wife. So what if my clock is ticking?
| Amy Remeikis
A very scary thing happened recently.
Very scary.
I’m still having nightmares about it, but my therapist says over time we’ll work through it.
I went to my nephew's christening, which was great.
As kids go, he’s very cute and was exceptionally well behaved considering some strange woman in robes was dripping water all over his head.
Anyways, the church bit was all fine.
And then we went to the after-christening party at Alex’s brother’s house.
And Alex being the kind, considerate, thoughtful man he is ran off with his brother and left me with his entire family.
His entire family.
Two mums, two dads, nan, sisters, family friends and his brother's in-laws.
And I was a married, but childless, woman in her 20s.
It was like a scene from Children of the Corn.
And I never stood a chance.
“So,” said some woman I sort of recognised from Dylan and Kristina’s wedding.
“When are you going to give Connor a cousin to play with?”
“Hmmm, yes it is best if they are close in age,” said another woman.
“That way they can grow up together.”
“You’d be thinking about trying now wouldn’t you,” said someone else.
It wasn’t a question – she phrased it as a statement.
“I mean you and Alex have been together for a while now and you know, the clock’s ticking.”
Oh yes. THE clock.
The one that is apparently counting down my usefulness as a woman.
I’m not so sure the ringing I heard in my ears was so much the clock ticking or the sound of the blood rushing from my brain.
I started to hyperventilate and stumbled away from the questions and called a friend to bemoan my childless status.
She was no help. She’s pregnant.
It seems everyone in the whole wide world is pregnant, just had a baby or wants to have a baby.
Including some dude who was a woman but then was a man who kept his woman bits and is now adding to the world’s population.
And seriously – I’m very happy for them all. (Except maybe for the pregnant man – that’s a little weird.)
But I’m not ready yet. Last time I checked it wasn’t a crime to have an empty womb. I’m not saying it will be vacant for ever, but I just don’t know if I want anyone checking in as yet.
Besides. I now have a nephew to live vicariously through.
And the best thing about that.
I get to give him back. And at this stage of my life, I am very, very comfortable with that knowledge.
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Recent Comments
I'm still waiting for a honeymoon, so chin up, you're not the only one without kids! :)
I'm in total agreement with this statement "And the best thing about that. I get to give him back. And at this stage of my life, I am very, very comfortable with that knowledge."
Fact is, its bloody hard and expensive to have kids. We cant afford it and it would be very stressfull financially to bring a child into this world...I consider it foolish to have a kid if you cant afford to look after it.
People will just have to accept our decision. We dont feel like pariahs (yet) but are happy with our life and the course its taking.
Remember: it's your life, your decision. Don't feel pressured into it. If you like handing them back, maybe you need to take that into account. Consider that it's not compulsory to have babies.