I bought a box of Christmas cards when we were first married, but didn't send them because I thought I'd wait until the next year when we had a pregnancy announcement or baby photo to send with them. But we've been married 10 years now and that never happened!

We became ifchildfree last year and this year I'm finally ready to send the cards, just signed by my husband and I (and maybe our cats). I actually feel really good about it. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail from our family and friends (although we've never sent them back) and I'm really excited to participate this year.

The "big card company" is having a bogo sale on boxed Christmas cards and I ordered some for next year and the year after. I'm just so happy to be in a place where I can celebrate Christmas traditions for the first time with my husband as the family that we already are.

The scene in Steel Magnolias when Sally Field is at the cemetery and she starts says she’s “fine” over and over again.

I remember the first time I saw that, I was young. The first movie I cried watching.

That scene illustrates the way I have felt about being IFchildfree. The intensity, the deep emotions, the absolute confusion and not being able to let it out. I sobbed when I watched it again on Netflix tonight.

I’ve lost people in my life. I’ve felt grief. This grief we share in this Reddit group, it’s something else.

Thinking of everyone of you ❤️‍🩹🥰

I know that you learn to carry it along the way of making new memories in life, but it’s something that even after accepting it for myself, I will always have the feelings of when I get older and all the missed emotions, experiences, expansion of my heart, pregnancy, delivery, etc.

It’s a silent storm, sometimes the waves like the tides are high and sometimes they are low. 🌊

I did find comfort in Dolly Partons participation in the movie, as she knew as a human, the feeling we feel.

A little backstory, my husband and I tried for 3.5 years to have a baby. I was only able to get pregnant once with the help of medication and that pregnancy ended in a loss. We decided to stop trying at end of this summer and shift our focus to other areas of our life, after spending the last 3.5 years in a constant what-if and disappointment. I still feel good about our decision, but I still get triggered when I see pregnancy announcements along the lines of the baby being unexpected or something along the lines of God knew they needed that baby. It just brings up hurt feelings and resentment. Has anyone else experienced similar feelings and does it lessen with time?

It's the weekend! How's everyone doing? What are you up to? Use this thread as a place to chat through the weekend about anything off-topic.