As you may or may not know, I had 3 children. They're all grown men now. I worked jobs where we took turns working Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and/or New Years. I always volunteered for New Years. I mean, where am I going, right? I've done my share of Christmas Eve's as well. As long as I was home on "the" morning to watch the kids open thier presents, I was good.

Here's the thing. It was MY choice to have kids. It was MY choice to work where I did. As far as I was concerned, I had no right to visit my choices on anyone else. Just like I'd be offended if some young single kid demanded every Saint Patricks day off for drunken tomfoolery, those without children have a right to be offended if I start trying to chance the schedule to suit just because I chose to have kids. It's part of being an adult, so I wore my big girl panties.

Not to mention, it's not a bad lesson to teach kids that sometimes, we have to work when we really don't want to. It's life.

None of my boys have or want kids. I'm glad they don't. It takes maturity an dstrength of character to admit and recognize that one is not emotionally, financially, etc. prepared for children. Or in at least 2 of my boys' cases, they just don't like kids. They don't want to have them around. They don't want to spend money or time on them. They don't want their freedom impacted. They won't even date women with kids. Good for them!

I don't agree with punishing people without kids. I also don't really agree with special concessions for those of us with kids. A phone call from me calling in sick because my child is sick should be treated just the same as a call from "Sally" who says she needs to take her spouse to the hospital. Families take a lot of forms.

It saddens me to read you saying your sisters are more valuable than you because they spawned children. They aren't. That's not some measure of human worth. It tugs at your mom's heartstrings more, sure, but please, don't discount your worth.