05/08/2025
WHEN THE WOMB ISN’T ENOUGH
💔 If a woman doesn’t give birth after marriage, should she be blamed?
Two years.
Just two years after Daniel and I said, "I do."
And the same people who danced at our wedding?
They now whisper behind closed doors.
And worse… they speak loud enough for me to hear.
It started slowly.
A look.
A long sigh at family dinners.
A comment slipped under the breath — but meant to pierce.
“She’s still not expecting?”
“Maybe it’s time Daniel checks if everything is okay on her side.”
“She looks too peaceful for someone who should be praying day and night.”
Then Ruth came back. Ruth… with her words dressed like concern but dripping with spite.
She didn’t knock.
She never does.
She barged into our home with Emma by her side.
And she didn’t waste time.
“So, Joan,” Ruth said, tossing her handbag on the couch, “what exactly are you still doing here? You’ve turned this marriage into a waiting room.”
I looked up, stunned. But she wasn’t done.
“Two years. No child. Not even a scare. Do you think this is normal?”
I tried to respond — calmly.
“God’s timing is different from ours.”
But Emma chuckled.
“Some women use that line to cover what they’ve already done to themselves.”
I turned slowly.
“What exactly are you suggesting?”
Ruth folded her arms.
“Oh, don’t act clueless. Maybe if Daniel had married Emma, we’d have a toddler crawling around by now.”
That night, I barely ate.
Daniel noticed. He always does.
He sat beside me, reached for my hand.
“Talk to me.”
I looked at him.
“Your sister said I’ve turned our home into a waiting room. Your mother says I’ve wasted your name. Emma… says I’m empty.”
He sighed deeply. Pulled me close.
“I never married you for what you could give me. I married you for who you are.”
But the world doesn’t always care about who you are — especially when you’re a woman.
Soon, his mother called a “small family talk.”
That’s what she called it. But I knew it was a trial.
Ruth sat with legs crossed.
Emma was dressed like she came to take back a prize.
His mother? She didn’t smile.
She got straight to it.
“Joan, let’s not waste time. Are you sure you didn’t do something to yourself before this marriage?”
My heart dropped.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, some women take things they shouldn't… do things they shouldn't… and later pretend they're victims.”
Daniel stood.
Everyone froze.
"Enough "
"I’ve listened to this insult long enough. Two years? Two years — and that’s all it took for you to call my wife names? To reduce her to her womb?"
His mother shifted uncomfortably.
"Daniel, we’re just concerned. A woman should—"
"No, Ma. Stop right there. A woman should what? Be a baby machine? Is that all Joan is to you?"
Ruth rolled her eyes, "We’re just stating facts. It’s been two years."
"And what about the years she’s held this house together? The days she wakes up early, serves you food, stays respectful even when you treat her like a stranger? Do those years not count?"
He turned to Emma, who had come for another “visit.”
"You sit here, silent, pretending to be better — but deep down, you knew I didn’t love you. You just thought time would change my heart. It hasn’t."
Emma flinched.
Daniel turned to Ruth again, his voice steady, and clear.
"You don’t have to like Joan. But you will respect her. Or you can stay away from my house."
Ruth gasped. "So you’re choosing her over your own blood?"
Daniel’s voice dropped. Calm. Final.
"I’m choosing peace. I’m choosing love. I’m choosing the woman who’s stood by me even when my own family wouldn’t
His mother turned to him.
“No, Daniel. It’s been two years. Two whole years and nothing. If this woman has no explanation, then we need to talk about the future.”
I stood too.
“My womb is not empty. My heart isn’t broken. My love for your son hasn’t changed. And if that’s not enough for you, then maybe I never was.”
Emma smiled.
“She’s always dramatic.”
But I wasn’t going to be silent this time.
“Emma, you’ve been hanging around this family like you’re waiting for leftovers. It’s been two years. Move on.”
Ruth hissed.
“She’s family. You? You’re just… a shadow in Daniel’s house.”
---
Daniel stepped between us.
“If this is what family means, then maybe I chose the wrong one.”
He turned to his mother.
“You once told me a wife should bring peace. Joan does. You just won’t accept it.”
His mother’s face tightened.
“You’ve changed.”
Daniel nodded.
“No. I’ve grown.”
That night, I sat in the shower, letting the water hide my tears.
Because no matter how strong I tried to be… the words stuck.
“You’ve turned this home into a waiting room.”
“She’s empty.”
“He made the wrong choice.”
But as the water poured, I remembered something:
Some seeds take longer to bloom.
Some flowers grow in silence.
And some journeys are walked one quiet step at a time.
❤ Let’s Talk:
Have you ever been made to feel “less” for something out of your control?
To be continued…
