I recently saw a picture of a bunch of my elementary school friends getting together for lunch. All of them had babies/kids with them (is that why I wasn't invited?). I'm in my thirties now and, recently, I've been wondering about whether or not I will ever have children. The ticking biological clock is incessantly pressuring me to make a decision. "Decide now," it ticks, "or forever hold your peace."

On the one hand, I wonder - if I choose not to have children, will I miss out on a human experience that others seem to love? Would my life somehow be less vivid, less complete? Would I miss out on the experience of learning how to be a mother, how to help a child grow up? Would I miss the transformation from a being that goes from something utterly dependent on me, to an independent, thoughtful being? Will I be lonely in my old age?

On the other hand, I myself am also complete being. If I choose to have children - will I miss out on hiking, working, traveling, and car activities -
things that I love to do? Would I lose out on being able to visit 50+ countries in the world, would I still be able to visit all the national parks? Will I miss out on amazing adventures? Will having children hurt my career? Will it be damaging to my health, my body?

In a way, maybe it is not up to me in the end. Finding a person with whom to have a child with is not so easy either.