My daughter inspired me to stay childfree

Today I learned of an entire other side of my family. My deceased grandmother had a child that she was forced to give up for adoption by my great-grandparents (the daughter is now in her 40s). I asked my mother about it and she said that my grandmother was a teenager at the time, and that had she not given the child up for adoption, my great-grandparents would have cut her and her two siblings off financially, ruining three lives. <br><br>My mother then said, “I don’t think I could give a child up for adoption,” which made me ask, “What do you think you would do with one?” The response was, “I don’t know.” <br><br>We talked for a while, and she was going back and forth between having kids and being childfree. I told her my perspective as someone who’s inspired by her beautiful independence, and how proud I am of her for taking care of herself and making sure she’s good wherever she is in life. She hasn’t had to compromise on her dreams, and has inspired me to do the same. <br><br>I told her how having kids would make her relationship with her boyfriend awkward, and would make her less carefree in her 30s. I said it would be unfair to bring a child into the world when she isn’t even sure if she wants one, and that her life should be about following *her* dreams, not making sure her kids get a college education. I told her how much I respect her and how I never want to see her compromised. <br><br>By the end of the conversation, she had pretty much decided on staying childfree. I’m so happy for her.