Dear Prudence,
I’m in my 30s, single and childless. I’d love to get married and have a family, but I’m also beginning to realize that might not happen for me. I enjoy traveling by myself and have a great group of friends, but some people won’t accept that this life can make me happy. I’ve explained to them I don’t need them to “find me a man” and that I’m not certain I’d be a good solo parent (“You could always use a sperm donor or adopt.”) I’ve started avoiding these friends, and they want to know why. People (always married, always with kids) become uncomfortable when I say I don’t know if I’ll get married and that I’m coming to terms with that. They try to rush to fill the silence by “fixing” the situation. I hate it. What do I say to these people since using my words so far hasn’t done a darn thing?
—Single and Might Always Be