There's a post out here about having children. I'm childfree, a decision I made when I was just a child. I made an informed decision, checking into the possibilty of having a child in my forties(If I changed my mind) or finding a way to care for myself when I'm old. At thirteen, I figured I had two choices, have fun now and pay later, or pay now and have fun when I'm old. I decided to take my chances and enjoy my youth.

Now it's time to pay.

Many of you know that I have a rather difficult father. He's gotten on my last nerves and is still going. I think about how I'm there for him, taking care of him as best I can. Hopefully, I can continue to do so.

But what about the childfree? Who will be there for us when we get old. If I have surgery, who will come and stay with me? Who will see that I'm having memory problems and see that I receive care? I guess it's time to pay. I enjoyed my youth, traveled when my friends were at home raising babies.

Years ago, I talked about the decision I was making with my mother. I told her how there's a scary part waiting at the end for me. She told me that you can't always depend on your kids anyway. She urged me to make the decision that I could live with and be happy with. 'If you don't have kids,' she said, there is no one there to put you in an old folks home.

So true in many ways, but everytime I hear one of those reports about how to take care of your parent, I think, wow, what am I going to do?

Would I make the same decision? Absolutely. It was best for me and the children I may have neglected. But boy do I wish there was a way not to have to pay now. I would love to have what my father has: A daughter willing to come stay with me? Problem is, I just want that without the price tag of the years of love and devotion such a daughter would expect.

How do the rest of you childfree/childless people feel about this subject.