World Childless Week Is Coming!

World Childless Week is September 13th - 19th this year, and it looks to be amazing! I had heard about World Childless Week through Loribeth at The Road Less Traveled and Mali at No Kidding in NZ, but I'd never participated other than checking out a link because it is always at the start of the school year, a time where there's not enough me to give to all the things I want to do. I've also only been officially childless not by choice since spring of 2017, which is the first year World Childless Week existed! My childlessness is the same age as WCW, ha.

This year, I decided that I was GOING to participate, first full week of school or not! I submitted a piece for Friday September 17th's theme, "Have You Considered Adoption?" and made an #IAmME photo: 

But, most exciting of all, I am on the panel for the discussion on Friday September 17th at 7pm London time, "Ooops, I Completely Forgot Adoption Was An Option, Thanks For Reminding Me" -- which is AMAZING and also making me feel a little like vomiting. Which is how I felt before a race when I ran in high school, so that's a good stress energy, is what I'm telling myself. Also, my best friend said, "If it's making you feel that way, it's probably a really great thing for you to do." True. You can sign up for the webinar by clicking the link in the title above, it should be a really powerful conversation! 

I am thrilled to participate because I am a person who both considered adoption and was considered in the adoption process, but to no avail. And then just couldn't continue...the emotional, physical, mental, and financial costs were too great. The stress literally attacked my body. But, that doesn't stop people from asking me if I thought about adoption, and then when I say "Yes, and it didn't work out for us," it is never, EVER left at that. Usually the menu of adoption options folds out and I am interrogated on why I didn't do international, or this country or that country, or foster, or why don't I adopt an older child, and every one of my choices is examined. I didn't wait long enough. I should have stayed in the game. I should have added another adoption agency. I should have done private. And sometimes these suggestions come from people who are well-meaning, but who had success with these other options and can't fathom how you could leave the game. It's a problem that happened during infertility treatments too -- it seemed so many women who were successful had "just the right thing" to guarantee success, because they had done this or that during their treatment cycle. It doesn't seem to be acceptable to just say, "I got lucky" and "The timing just worked out, there is no special sauce, not really." Sigh. 

I am so excited to join other women who are childless and have faced this question from different perspectives. Please check out all that World Childless Week has to offer, a full list of events are here. If you want a great overview of the topics and a treasure trove of related posts, check out Mali's thoughts here. 

See you there!