I was hoping you'd get to this! I did the marriage thing. I did the kids thing. I did them in reverse order, but, whatever. My boys are now grown me, and pretty good ones at that. That was my life and my choice. Your life is yours and the fact that a 6 and 8 year old seem to have no concept of a fulfilling female existence beyond the so called fairy tale is, well, frankly, troubling. More than troubling...I don't even have words right now for it because, truthfully, it kinda pisses me off that we're still feeding little girls this bullshit narrative.

Not every woman is cut ot for, or wants to be a wife or a mother, etiher, both, whatever. And that's fine. Others may want to and life, as you said, just doesn't go to plan, and one finds meaning and satisfaction elsewhere.

I'd just tell the little ones that some women have babies and get married and some don't and that's okay and leave it there. Some woemn are just such good aunties they don't have babies of their own.

You owe nobody an explanation and seriously the next time someone asks you why you don't have a husband or kids (well, an adult), I'd ask them why they don't have a brain, but hey, I'm just bitchy that way.