[Luke Skyfreeper]

Childlessness is a kind of vaccuum, and they often make children of pets or friends or some substitute...and tend to anguish or argue over that substitute like couples who argue over their children.

Let's see... I can think of 5 people I know who are well into adulthood without children, and a couple who only had one daughter and will never had grandchildren.

All 5 of the people with no children have dogs. One of them also has 10 cats. I would describe 2 of them as lonely people. The other 3 keep pretty busy with social stuff.

And the couple with only one daughter, who will never have any grandchildren, is lonely as well.

I also know a couple with at least a dozen grandkids, most of whom seem to be a delight. Of course, I also know a lady with a son she would probably be better off without. A lot of it is in how you raise 'em.

[Mamzelle]

re: I also know a couple with at least a dozen grandkids, most of whom seem to be a delight. Of course, I also know a lady with a son she would probably be better off without. A lot of it is in how you raise 'em.)))

Show a little pity. After all, these parents are at war against the world.

I'm fond of these non-parent couples, but I did chuckle when I spent a little time with one couple who were having trouble with one of their dogs being a little snappish to the wife, a dog who had "bonded" heavily with the husband. They sounded so much like parents struggling with a moody and intractable teenager playing one parent off against the other.

There are tradeoffs. Couples without children devote a lot of attention to the other--this is a nice thing to see. Sometimes couples with kids forget how to do that.