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Today, there are a growing number of adults who do not have children for various reasons, but are productive members of society. Even so, they often seem to be deliberately or unconsciously judged by others.

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Although society 麻豆精品 S檚 views seem to be becoming more progressive, with an increasing number of childless adults, I still detect there is some subconscious energy focused toward how much we define a woman 麻豆精品 S檚 life and worth based on her maternal 麻豆精品 S� and often marital 麻豆精品 S� status.

Most people never give a thought before spouting unsolicited and often insensitive comments such as 麻豆精品 S淲hat are you waiting for?! 麻豆精品 S� or even more demeaning, 麻豆精品 S淲hat 麻豆精品 S檚 wrong with you? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� questions that point to the absurd belief that a woman is somehow incomplete, unhappy or unsuccessful if she is without children or not married.

Of all the amazing personal attributes and accomplishments women possess 麻豆精品 S� cultured, athletic prowess, scholarship, humor 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 disheartening to think that women are every so often perceived as less of a woman if they are not mothers. Yet those who so hastily attach labels rarely ponder circumstances that may have led to a woman 麻豆精品 S檚 status. Yes, some women (and couples) are childless by choice but oftentimes the reasons may be physiological or spiritual or because of traumatic experiences.

As a friend confided: 麻豆精品 S淲hen asking the No. 1 question, 麻豆精品 S淒o you have kids? 麻豆精品 S� I consider the story behind their answer before my reply. I never wish for my response to imply judgment or pity for their existence or their choices. As I am a 麻豆精品 S榗omplete 麻豆精品 S� woman, so are they, and we are so much more than just vessels for children no matter how a woman 麻豆精品 S檚 story is written and whether they made the choice or the choice was made for them to be without child. 麻豆精品 S�

All women should be revered as complete 麻豆精品 S� with or without children, married or not. Despite how the choice was made whether to be a parent, women get to decide what they want and don 麻豆精品 S檛 want for their lives. We should not feel like second-class citizens for those decisions. We should know that when we make those decisions we should make them for girls and young women that look to us as an example.

It is our responsibility to inspire future generations to create their own narrative without concern of society 麻豆精品 S檚 outdated views of what is normal and acceptable in our culture.

Syretta Spears is assistant director of the UCF Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling Center in the College of Nursing. She can be reached at Syretta.Spears@ucf.edu.

The聽UCF Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on UCF Today and then broadcast on WUCF-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the University of Central Florida.