The World We Leave For The Next Generation

Cheers, dear readers,

A week past the presidential election in America, I re-read Eric’s last post and thought I would continue to ponder the question that he raised…

Does the absence or presence of children actually change how you think about the future? Could I, as an infertile woman, childless and middle aged (sorry, sweetie, we already ARE middle-aged – not “approaching” – nice try), truly feel concerns about The Future in the same way as those who will leave children to live in the world they have left behind?

Eric already looked for data regarding this question and found nada, zip, zilch, zero, no information on an answer to this question. So I will take a moment to write this from my perspective as that is the one I know best!

Do I feel concerned about The Future?

That’s a big fat resounding YES! I don’t feel that I need to have my own offspring to be concerned about the future. I have nieces and nephews (in concept anyway as my only sister does not have children, but my close friends do), god-children (children that we are the legal guardians of), and young people in my life that I care about, as well as just empathy for the next generation in general.

Now, is my concern in the SAME WAY as those who have their own children? I have no idea. But I would have to venture a guess that at the very least, our concerns are similar and similarly weighted judging by conversations with my friends who are mothers and fathers. We all care quite deeply. We generally want a world that is safe, sane, prosperous, healthy and respectful.

I also want a world that offers quality, safe, affordable healthcare. I have concerns for low-income families getting the care they need in terms of healthcare to help take care of their loved ones. I support access to quality healthcare, as well as legal and safe medical procedures, such as fertility treatment. I’m concerned that just getting basic healthcare could become a financial burden – or worse, completely unobtainable – by some families. I also believe in how our founding fathers here in America set out to create this great country – offering religious freedom to all.

I know the fight for my values isn’t won or lost in a single election. I continue to stand today and into tomorrow for the dignity and equality of all people, and for protections of access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Please join us next week to hear more about our personal journey down the infertility path. I look forward to speaking with you. And I wish you the best on your journey.

Warm regards,
Cathy