I'm 43 years old. Strangers assume that I’m a mother on Mother's Day, and family overcompensates for the fact I’m not one. I haven’t discussed my fertility struggles with anyone because it’s too difficult and painful.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

You are not the only person who encounters this problem every Mother’s Day. You don’t have to convey the message verbally, which might be repetitive as well as

You are not the only person who encounters this problem every Mother’s Day. You don’t have to convey the message verbally, which might be repetitive as well as painful for you. Go online and search for buttons that bear the message “Child-Free.