In this episode of Casting It Out, we get very real about being child-free in a world that assumes you’ll “want them someday.” We talk about friendships growing apart after kids, being the ones who bend, adjust, reschedule, and show up anyway, and how consistently giving more can quietly wear on a relationship over time.

We unpack the quiet grief of losing friends to parenthood, not out of resentment, but because life shifts and not everyone is able to meet you halfway. Some friends do it beautifully. Others don’t. And sometimes, even when we try our hardest, we still have to let a friendship fade while genuinely hoping their life is full and happy.

We also push back on the idea that not having kids means we don’t understand responsibility. Our lives can still be heavy, draining, and full in ways that aren’t always visible. We talk about what it means to carry real responsibility, manage full lives, and still try our best to meet people where they are.

We dig into the pressure placed on women to become mothers, why a woman’s purpose is not defined by having a child, and how even women who are mothers deserve to be seen as full humans with identities beyond that role.

It’s funny, honest, chaotic, and tender. A little ranty. A little sad. Very relatable. If you’ve ever felt like you were always the one adjusting, or if you’ve loved friends deeply and still had to grieve the version of a relationship that no longer exists, this one’s for you.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.