women
Episode 149–Celebrating Women’s History Month
Hello, and welcome to episode 149 of the Childless not by Choice Podcast. My name is Civilla Morgan. My mission is to recognize and speak to childless not by choice women and men around the world, reminding you, us, that we can live joyful, relevant, fulfilled, childless not by choice, lives.
Whether you have children or not, thank you for tuning in!
What is today’s show about?
International Women’s Month
NOTE: I called it International Women’s History Month on the podcast. That’s OK, right?
Thank you Patreon contributors:
I would like to take a moment to thank the people who make a financial contribution to the platform on a monthly basis, my Patreon Contributors.
Your contributions help pay my podcast producer, my podcast host, Zoom, where I interview most of my guests, etc. So thank you very much!
If you are not yet a Patron, visit patreon.com/childlessnotbychoice to set up your monthly contribution. No matter your giving level, I have a gift for you!
If you prefer to give via PayPal, you can find me there at booksbycivillamorgan@gmail.com.
Your contributions to the platform are greatly appreciated! Thank you!
https://www.patreon.com/Childlessnotbychoice
Questions or comments? Contact me at:
Email: Info@civillamorgan.com
Or
Visit the website at http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net, look to the left on the home screen and click on the link below the telephone to leave me an up to 90-second voicemail.
Body of episode:
So March is International Women’s History Month. There is so much that can be said about how far we as women have come, and how far we have yet to go. I guess it is like any other so-called minority. There is yet work to be done. And we cannot afford to rest. But we can stop to celebrate every once in a while. Celebration gives us hope for the future, highlights those who have come before us, and those we see as the future.
I thought about highlighting women who have worked to make life better for all women whether nationally here in the US, or internationally. Either way, their work helps us in every corner of the globe. But I’ve done that. It took two episodes to do it too. That’s how many fabulous childless not by choice women there have been, and are. The links are in the show notes for episodes 78 and 79–Childless not by Choice Women Who Changed The World!
But there are two women I have watched and admired for years, and who honestly, let me put the word out, I would love on my podcast! I have admired them for their class and grace in the face of a world that can be really harsh toward women who never had children.
And may I remind you, I talk about the childless not by choice. That is what this podcast has always been about, but if a woman decides she would rather not have children, it is not society’s business. It is her business. Why can’t we mind our own business?
Calling a woman a crazy cat lady because she never had children, says more about the name-caller than it does about the woman. I mean, we don’t typically get to know the real reason a woman never had children unless you listen to a podcast like mine. And I doubt name-callers have the time to actually do the research before calling people names and deriding them. Us.
Anyway:
-
Tracee Ellis Ross…
Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of Legend Diana Ross. She recently talked about not having children, and about going through perimenopause, saying ‘I Can Feel My Body’s Ability To Make A Child Draining Out Of Me’. Woah! Never thought about it quite like that before!
She never married, so I feel like I have at least two things in common with this legend in her own right. There is a link in the show notes with the entire article. There are actually two links in the show notes with content about Tracee Ellis Ross. Please check them out. No one escapes the joys and sadnessess of life, and I’m sure she has her moments, but I love the way she shows up and does life with positivity, poise, and charm, no matter what.
https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/tracee-ellis-ross-perimenopause/
-
Jennifer Anniston
In a February 2023 Marie Claire article, Jennifer Anniston talked about the way she used to feel about the rumor mongers and naysayers who knew nothing about her personal life, saying “I used to take it all very personally — the pregnancy rumors and the whole ‘Oh, she chose career over kids’ assumption,” she told the publication. “It’s like, ‘You have no clue what’s going with me personally, medically, why I can’t … can I have kids?’ They don’t know anything, and it was really hurtful and just nasty.”
We really need to lift each other up as women and keep in mind that everyone has a story. And furthermore, we do not know everyone’s story. How could we? It always amazes me how absolute strangers believe they have the right to voice an opinion about another person’s life.
The link is in the show notes for the full article. Please check that out as well!
https://www.marieclaire.com.au/jennifer-aniston-no-kids-career-comment
So, remember, no matter where on the planet you are, fabulous woman, childless woman, childfree woman, a woman with children; I am thinking of you, hoping for you praying for you, speaking up for you.
You are worthy. You are valued. You are here for a reason. Happy International Women’s month!
There are lots of research links in the show notes for this episode. One in particular that I found interesting because they discuss childlessness, childfree-ness, singleness, single and childess. I mean they discussed all the angles of childlessness. Check it out!
Research links:
Articles/links of interest:
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/
https://ifstudies.org/blog/1-in-4-projecting-childlessness-among-todays-young-women
Podcast links mentioned in the episode:
https://childlessnotbychoice.net/episode-78-11-childless-not-choice-women-changed-world-part-one/
https://www.marieclaire.com.au/jennifer-aniston-no-kids-career-comment
Special thank you to:
All the women in the world!
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
LinkedIn: Civilla Morgan, MSM
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/childless-not-by-choice
If you would like to become a one-time or ongoing sponsor, or if you would like to advertise your business or an upcoming event, contact me at info@civillamorgan.com for details.
Episode 97–Can Childless Women Bond?
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Childless not by Choice, where my mission is to recognize and speak to childless not by choice women and men around the world. Civilla Morgan here. I am spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life, although we did not have the children we so wanted. I am also reaching out to everyone who recognizes that we are not all living the same type of life.
Welcome to episode 97!
I would like to thank my sponsor Morgan Air Conditioning. Morgan Air can be reached by calling 813 500 7765. Their email address is www.Morganair.net.
Along with a stellar business reputation in the Tampa, FL area, Morgan Air is also known and well received for giving back to the Tampa, FL community whether it is back to school drives or donating services to the less fortunate.
Thank you Morgan Air for recognizing the vision of Childless not by Choice, and being a part of it.
I would also like to thank Devoted, the musical duo who created my theme music. Thank you Devoted, for the beautiful theme music we use here at Childless not by Choice. Devoted has had the opportunity to sing and play in many countries. To learn more about Devoted, visit their website at http://www.devotedministry.org.
Well, I have some VIP’s I need to give a shout out to!
- Patreon Contributors: (Patreon contributors are those who have taken an interest in my platform whether they fit the childless not by choice demographic or not. They have decided to contribute a certain dollar amount on a monthly basis to help maintain our platform and podcast. Click the Patreon link for details and to become a Patron!)
https://www.patreon.com/Childlessnotbychoice
- Jordan Morgan
- Ivy Calhoun
- Your Name Here
Content:
In the month of October, I am highlighting the importance of maintaining mental health in the childless not by choice community through therapy dogs, and through pets in general.
Those of us who are childless not by choice and have or had pets are often chided for having pets instead of having children. Many times those who do not know our story or understand our journey find it easier to make fun of childless women with pets, reminding us that a pet is not the same as a child.
I believe that as childless not by choice women we are well aware of the difference between a human and an animal, but it is difficult for most people to understand that everyone has a story, and that everyone’s story is different. Unbelievably, some people still believe that a childless woman or couple just did not want children. It is still difficult for many to understand that life just dealt some us a different set of cards.
What we, whether childless not by choice or not, do with the cards we have been dealt proves to ourselves and to the world, that we are strong, or on our way to gaining strength through and for our journey.
Deciding to have a pet and to spoil that pet is just one way we as childless not by choice women decide to manage the life we have been given. Notice, I did not say handle or cope with, I said manage. Because we must manage our lives no matter how that life turned out, and not allow life to manage us.
So this month, I am posting a guest blog written by one of our childless not by choice members. It will post on the 15th. Our guest blogger will take us on a journey, showing us how having pets helped her come to terms with childlessness.
And on the 22nd, you will get to hear episode 98, where I interview Michelle Link and her beautiful therapy dog Murphy. That was such a wonderful interview! I learned quite a bit as we discussed the differences between therapy dogs and emotional support dogs; and how important they both are to mental health.
The bottom line is this, whether you are childless not by choice or not, the need and the ability to care for another being helps heal the soul. And when caring for this being as a childless not by choice woman or man, the healing process can help fill your mind with love instead of dwelling on a life that did not happen as expected.
We can choose to dwell on what did not happen for us, or we can reach out and help others. We can reach out and adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, or buy a fish tank and fill it with our version of beauty. We can reach out to the beauty the world has to offer, or we can go within and live with the hurt of what could have been. What is not, and in many cases will not be.
We have choices even when we did not get to choose whether or not we would have children. That is not the only choice we get in life.
And life is short. Choose and then live that choice out loud.
When you do that, if you are chided for being a pet mom, you will not even hear the commentary because chances are you already made the decision to live the life you have been given. How strong are you!?
so come with us on our journey through the month of October. It’s going to be beautiful!
https://positivelywoof.com/pet-calendar-year-at-a-glance/
Also highlighted in October is Miscarriage Awareness. If your journey includes miscarriage, please accept my deepest condolences. Be sure to visit the Resource tab on the website for an article I wrote on dealing with the grief of miscarriage. To be transparent, miscarriage is not a part of my journey. But I wrote the article to encourage you with hope for your journey even through your loss. I hope you will take a moment to read the article.
Articles of note and interest:
https://positivelywoof.com/pet-calendar-year-at-a-glance/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/world/asia/afghanistan-rasool-landay-childless-women-scam.html
https://thegrio.com/2018/10/06/tracee-ellis-ross-says-shes-good-with-being-45-single-and-childless/
PLEASE NOTE: in the previous episode I mentioned that my old title was showing up on the Podcast section of iHeart Radio. That has been corrected. You will now find the title Childless not by Choice on iHeart Radio’s Podcast section.
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
LinkedIn: Civilla Morgan, MSM
If you would like to become a one time or ongoing sponsor, or if you would like to advertise your business or an upcoming event, contact me at info@civillamorgan.com for details.
Remember, subscription to the podcast is free. Simply go to Apple Podcast, or anyone of following apps in your app store: Stitcher Radio, Overcast, Castro, Podbean, etc; or the radio apps such as Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Google Play Radio. Search for Childless not by Choice, and hit the subscribe button. It’s that easy!
Well, thank you for listening to this episode of Childless not by Choice! Until next time! Bye!
‘To recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world.’
‘Spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life’.
Episode 97–Can Childless Women Bond?
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Childless not by Choice, where my mission is to recognize and speak to childless not by choice women and men around the world. Civilla Morgan here. I am spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life, although we did not have the children we so wanted. I am also reaching out to everyone who recognizes that we are not all living the same type of life.
Welcome to episode 97!
I would like to thank my sponsor Morgan Air Conditioning. Morgan Air can be reached by calling 813 500 7765. Their email address is www.Morganair.net.
Along with a stellar business reputation in the Tampa, FL area, Morgan Air is also known and well received for giving back to the Tampa, FL community whether it is back to school drives or donating services to the less fortunate.
Thank you Morgan Air for recognizing the vision of Childless not by Choice, and being a part of it.
I would also like to thank Devoted, the musical duo who created my theme music. Thank you Devoted, for the beautiful theme music we use here at Childless not by Choice. Devoted has had the opportunity to sing and play in many countries. To learn more about Devoted, visit their website at http://www.devotedministry.org.
Well, I have some VIP’s I need to give a shout out to!
- Patreon Contributors: (Patreon contributors are those who have taken an interest in my platform whether they fit the childless not by choice demographic or not. They have decided to contribute a certain dollar amount on a monthly basis to help maintain our platform and podcast. Click the Patreon link for details and to become a Patron!)
https://www.patreon.com/Childlessnotbychoice
- Jordan Morgan
- Ivy Calhoun
- Your Name Here
Content:
In the month of October, I am highlighting the importance of maintaining mental health in the childless not by choice community through therapy dogs, and through pets in general.
Those of us who are childless not by choice and have or had pets are often chided for having pets instead of having children. Many times those who do not know our story or understand our journey find it easier to make fun of childless women with pets, reminding us that a pet is not the same as a child.
I believe that as childless not by choice women we are well aware of the difference between a human and an animal, but it is difficult for most people to understand that everyone has a story, and that everyone’s story is different. Unbelievably, some people still believe that a childless woman or couple just did not want children. It is still difficult for many to understand that life just dealt some us a different set of cards.
What we, whether childless not by choice or not, do with the cards we have been dealt proves to ourselves and to the world, that we are strong, or on our way to gaining strength through and for our journey.
Deciding to have a pet and to spoil that pet is just one way we as childless not by choice women decide to manage the life we have been given. Notice, I did not say handle or cope with, I said manage. Because we must manage our lives no matter how that life turned out, and not allow life to manage us.
So this month, I am posting a guest blog written by one of our childless not by choice members. It will post on the 15th. Our guest blogger will take us on a journey, showing us how having pets helped her come to terms with childlessness.
And on the 22nd, you will get to hear episode 98, where I interview Michelle Link and her beautiful therapy dog Murphy. That was such a wonderful interview! I learned quite a bit as we discussed the differences between therapy dogs and emotional support dogs; and how important they both are to mental health.
The bottom line is this, whether you are childless not by choice or not, the need and the ability to care for another being helps heal the soul. And when caring for this being as a childless not by choice woman or man, the healing process can help fill your mind with love instead of dwelling on a life that did not happen as expected.
We can choose to dwell on what did not happen for us, or we can reach out and help others. We can reach out and adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, or buy a fish tank and fill it with our version of beauty. We can reach out to the beauty the world has to offer, or we can go within and live with the hurt of what could have been. What is not, and in many cases will not be.
We have choices even when we did not get to choose whether or not we would have children. That is not the only choice we get in life.
And life is short. Choose and then live that choice out loud.
When you do that, if you are chided for being a pet mom, you will not even hear the commentary because chances are you already made the decision to live the life you have been given. How strong are you!?
so come with us on our journey through the month of October. It’s going to be beautiful!
https://positivelywoof.com/pet-calendar-year-at-a-glance/
Also highlighted in October is Miscarriage Awareness. If your journey includes miscarriage, please accept my deepest condolences. Be sure to visit the Resource tab on the website for an article I wrote on dealing with the grief of miscarriage. To be transparent, miscarriage is not a part of my journey. But I wrote the article to encourage you with hope for your journey even through your loss. I hope you will take a moment to read the article.
Articles of note and interest:
https://positivelywoof.com/pet-calendar-year-at-a-glance/
https://resolve.org/what-are-my-options/living-childfree/navigating-living-your-life-childlessness-and-child-free-after-infertility/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/world/asia/afghanistan-rasool-landay-childless-women-scam.html
https://thegrio.com/2018/10/06/tracee-ellis-ross-says-shes-good-with-being-45-single-and-childless/
PLEASE NOTE: in the previous episode I mentioned that my old title was showing up on the Podcast section of iHeart Radio. That has been corrected. You will now find the title Childless not by Choice on iHeart Radio’s Podcast section.
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
LinkedIn: Civilla Morgan, MSM
If you would like to become a one time or ongoing sponsor, or if you would like to advertise your business or an upcoming event, contact me at info@civillamorgan.com for details.
Remember, subscription to the podcast is free. Simply go to Apple Podcast, or anyone of following apps in your app store: Stitcher Radio, Overcast, Castro, Podbean, etc; or the radio apps such as Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Google Play Radio. Search for Childless not by Choice, and hit the subscribe button. It’s that easy!
Well, thank you for listening to this episode of Childless not by Choice! Until next time! Bye!
‘To recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world.’
‘Spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life’.
My Interview with Nina Steele, Founder of Non Parents
What an impactful interview! It was such a pleasure to interview Mrs. Nina Steele. Her platform is to encourage women and men to live a courageous life though childless not by choice. Her concentration is on Africa, in particular Where she is from, The Ivory Coast, and English speaking countries on the Continent.
Nina knows first-hand the culture, traditions, and thoughts that can sometimes put childless not by choice women at risk in Africa; and she is using her own courageous life to create awareness and understanding.
I am really excited about this interview because my platform is global. But I believe that together with other childless not by choice platforms around the world, we can create a network of global awareness.
Can you imagine a world where the issues of childlessness not by choice are no longer whispered about? Can you imagine a world where childless BY choice is no longer whispered about? Can you imagine a world where every country and culture can openly revisit their thoughts and beliefs on the issues of childlessness?
I know it’s possible!
I would love to hear your thoughts about the interview! Email me, go to my website and leave me a voicemail on Speakpipe. Drop me a review in iTunes. And of course visit me on social media. See Nina’s contact information below, and below that, you will find my contact information. And by the way, here is the link to the survey I mentioned in the episode. I would appreciate it if you would take a moment to fill it out:
https://survey.libsyn.com/21stcenturyhannah
Until next time! Bye!
Nina Steele’s contact information:
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
My interview with Reshell McKinnon Smith–finance for the single woman
21st Century Hannah is a series of books that I have written and am writing. It is the basis of my podcast channel, it is my platform. In 21st Century Hannah, I talk to women like myself, who wanted but could not have children. I believe the topic of childless not by choice is a subject that is typically avoided in society, but I believe God has prompted me to start the conversation.
I have written a 31-day devotional, I am working on a 365-day devotional, and I am working on a novel about my journey through and in the world of childlessness. If you have a similar story, or you know someone who does, 21st Century Hannah is for you!
Childless not by Choice, First Broadcast via radio show
This is my first broadcast for my radio show 21st Century Hannah! I had a radio show on a local radio station for six months before I switched over to podcasting. So my first few podcast episodes are actually radio show episodes turned podcast episodes!
In 21st Century Hannah, I talk to women like myself, who wanted but could not have children. Yes, I did try adoption, no it did not work out. I believe the topic of childlessness not by choice is typically avoided and misunderstood in society. Sometimes at all costs. I believe God has prompted me to start the conversation.
I wrote a 31-day devotional, geared toward the childless not by choice woman. I am working on a 365-day devotional, with similar content, but more interactive. I am also working on a novel about my journey through and in the world of childlessness. If you have a similar story, or you know someone who does, this show is for you!
Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher!
Contact information:
https://childlessnotbychoice.net
Twitter @civilla1
Instagram @civilla1
Facebook BooksbyCivillaMorgan
Pinterest Civilla Morgan
