Introduction to Childlessness and the Arts by Stephanie Phillips
September 12, 2018
Berenice Howard-Smith
Today is a whole new concept for World Childless Week as we explore Childlessness and The Arts. I was not sure of how this day’s topic would be received but the response has been nothing but positive. People use ‘the arts’ in many ways to express their feeling of being childless and I hope you’ll take the time to watch, read and listen to what is shared today.
I’d like to start by sharing something I shared on my Facebook timeline in January 2015.
NEW YEAR CHALLENGE !!
Many of you are aware that I decided several months ago to "come out of the childless closet" and start voicing my opinion about everything in life that sometimes stings and at other times feels like a hard slap across the face.
This giant step only happened when I discovered a support group on Facebook and began to realise that my thoughts and feelings were not wierd or out of the ordinary. Others who are childless by circumstance (not by choice) understood me and validated my emotions. I discovered that I did have a place in the world where I was not pushed away or overlooked, but welcomed with open arms.
This amazing group of new friends encouraged and supported my new venture to write a book about being Childless Not By Choice and I created my own research group to follow this venture through. I am now proud to say that I have well over 200 members who make me smile and cry on a daily basis.
Just prior to Christmas one lady asked if she could pose a question/challenge to the group and I readily agreed. She suggested that those who were comfortable to do so made a post in the New Year, "Open Letter To My Fertile Friends" - how could I not participate ??
I was not sure what my letter would contain or if one particular point would come to mind until something hit me the other day. I don't feel like it needs a long winded explanation to get my point across, I hope a few simple lines will express what I need to say and give you an insight to my childless thoughts.
OPEN LETTER (poem) TO MY FERTILE FRIENDS
I took a picture on Christmas Day
Me, my mum, my gran
Three generations
Three different rungs of the ladder
My mum is also a gran
My gran is also a great gran
They are both continuing up the ladder
Whilst I sit on the bottom rung
So if you have a child near by, hug them for me, treasure each time they call you mum and celebrate each rung of the ladder you climb
Stephanie Phillips
Founder, World Childless Week