Life without children

WHILE the figures behind Jamaica’s birth rate crisis paint a daunting picture — women are having an average of 1.3 children in their lifetime, among the lowest in the world — the stories of some of those behind the statistics offer a more intimate perspective.

Five middle-aged and elderly Jamaicans shared with the Jamaica Observer their experiences without children, from feelings of anguish and regret to satisfaction and even hope.

The respondents, three women and two men ranging from ages 50 to 78, included an entrepreneur in her 50s who never wanted children, a 78-year-old teacher who was unable to conceive, a 56-year-old accountant who never found the right time, a commuter who never found the right woman, and a 65- year-old farmer who was concerned about finances.