I would posit that our society treats women’s bodies as possessions of the State, or of the Church (which is much the same) and not our own. This is a massive discussion which I won’t enter into here, Vanessa, but all you have to do is look at abortion laws, and the fact that this country has hundreds of laws on the books concerning female bodies and NOT A SINGLE ONE concerning male sexual behavior or procreation responsibilities. Your body and your choice about children are both YOURS. They don’t fucking belong to anyone else. That there is even one single question about the rightness of one and done brings up a whole host of issues about whose fucking business is it anyway? My generation- and I’m 66- was still expected to punch out units. I tied my tubes at 27, with no regrets, and as I’ve aged I’m even more certain about the rightness of that decision. That didn’t stop thousands of people over the course of my long life from opining about what I should have done with my body,my time, my life, my uterus.

My body belongs to me. Your body belongs to you. It’s nobody’s. Fucking. Business. Not even your second husband. As tough as that may be, ultimately, what you chose to do with your body has huge implications for the rest of your life. Nobody else has to pay that price. That’s why it’s nobody’s goddamned business that an only child was your only and wisest choice.