As I think you may know, I am a skeptic, an iconoclast. and (for a very old man) a flaming liberal. Yet, it never occurred to me to live a life without children. My wife wanted four; I preferred two: I was an incipient hippy — this was in the early 60s — I did not want to contribute to the population explosion. Two kids, preferable a boy and a girl. It happened just like that. When they were toddlers, my wife realized that two children were a gift, more would be a hassle! (It was one of the few times she has admitted I was right.) The years with the kids were the happiest in our now long and happy life.

My own children now have two children each, and one of our granddaughters has two. Irony? Tradition? Luck? (It doesn’t run in the family: one of my sisters has six and the other has five, plus an adopted child, and they are almost as happy as the Brady Bunch. Go figure.)

Until I read your wonderful piece, I never really thought about not having children, nor of couples that can’t or won’t have children. Adoption is certainly an option for couples who want kids — and I have had many friends over the years who have made that choice and are glad they did. The word is choice. Don’t want kids? Go for it! Want to adopt? Go for it! What to have six! Go for it! It is no one’s business what you do with your life (as long as you don’t hurt anyoe — the hippy credo) and if they make it their business, f*** them. That is future perfect.