By Kathleen Guthrie Woods
A while back we did a series on women who inspire us, women who are our heroes, who happen to be childfree: cheroes.
Recently I came across this interview with Ina Garten, the wonderful “Barefoot Contessa,” in which she addresses why she and her husband, Jeffrey, never had children. “I really felt, I feel, that I would have never been able to have the life I’ve had,” she said. A life that has included an incredibly successful shop, a line of cookbooks, TV shows, and an international fan base. “So it’s a choice,” she said, “and that was the choice I made.”
She goes on to say that she never felt judged by other people for her choice, which I find amazing…and encouraging.
I wish I could be as content with my “choices” as she is. Maybe someday I will be. Meanwhile, what helps me is hearing that other people are being less judgmental of childfree women, cheroes such as Ina Garten are speaking up with positive messages, and women who happen to be childfree are continuing to rock our world.
Who are your cheroes? If you can’t think of one, check out the series we did on LWB and visit Jody Day’s fabulous Gallery of Women: Childless & Childfree Women Role Models on Pinterest.
Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a Northern California–based freelance writer. She is mostly at peace with her childfree status.
A few years back, I borrowed a library book based on a series of interviews with childless women. One of the women featured was Marjory Stoneman Douglas. What struck me the most and stayed with me was her response when asked about how she dealt with her feeling about being childless. I don’t recall her exact phrasing, but it was something like, “Oh please.” She seemed so at ease with herself, so comfortable in her own shoes, her life and accomplishments, that referring to motherhood, as something that was somehow “missing” from her life was either a waste of thought, or missing the point on everything else about life. Here’s a short read about her: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/behindtheparks/douglas/
Thanks for sharing that. And she live to 108!!
Wow, love it! thank you for sharing .. i wish to adopt that attitude soon one day!
Ina Garten rocks! — off the top of my head – jennifer aniston is pretty cool! I loved her article she wrote for vogue about a year ago that went viral .. it was about people inquiring too much about when she will have a baby .. google “Jennifer Aniston Is Not a Mother, and No Less a Woman ” and you will find it – sorry for the late post