Babies. Everyone everywhere is having them, and it's all over Facebook. You can't scroll through your feed without seeing either a "we're expecting!" or a "it's a *insert male/female here*!" post. You see pictures of them sleeping, eating, and the mess you have to clean up after both. Everywhere are proud new parents or parents-to-be. This isn't an article bashing you guys, In fact, seeing the pictures of little Tommy's messy self just reminds me of how much I don't want to have kids of my own.

Don't give me the whole "you're young, you will change you mind" spiel, because it's not going to happen. To think that just because I am young I can't make decisions regarding my own womb is just ignorant. Because that's what it is: mine. Please don't confuse this conviction with the feminist/abortionist ideal that it's "you're body, you're choice". Once you have a child in your womb, it is no longer just yours. Its the child's home and you have no right to remove the them from it. But if a child never moves in, then it's mine and I plan on keeping the doors locked.

As for my future husband, he is just going to have to accept that I'm not having our kids. I will never hide the fact that I don't want kids from any potential suitor, simply because if they have a problem with it they can leave. I won't pretend and I hope they afford me the same courtesy.

That's not to say that I don't want kids period. I want to adopt older children ( that is, 10-17) very badly, simply because no one else wants them. I want them to know that they are loved, and that Jesus loves them too. Even if I can't adopt them all, I will become a foster parent so they at least have a chance. I can't stand firmly against abortion yet not care about the child after birth. I want to be the one that takes in the unwanted so they know they're wanted by at least one person, two if you count my husband.

And honestly? I don't think I'd be a good mother to a younger child. I can barely take care of myself, let alone a miniature me. I don't want that responsibility. At least with an older child, I can do what I want and not have to worry about nap time, or diaper changes. My little adopted me can run around as I do what I need to, and have fun with me during the things we want to do. They're already potty trained, which is a big plus. Don't lecture me about how children in the system are mean, or hard to deal with, or have problems. I am fully prepared to deal with it, and look forward to it.

Not wanting kids of my own doesn't make me any less of a woman than you. Not wanting kids of my own doesn't make me any less feminine, or any less human that you. It simply makes me, me. I hope you can respect that.