Dependents: 0

It's that time of year again...tax time. I actually already got my taxes filed and returned to me, but it wasn't filling them out that bothered me, it was reviewing my tax return itself. I looked over the highlighted lines and the one that says "Dependents . . . . ____" along with my photocopied "0" stuck out like a sore thumb. I don't know if that will ever not sting a little. Even when and if I have another child, I'll be writing "1" where I feel I should be writing "2," and so on and so on. I know I don't have any 'dependents,' obviously, I know this. But I did have a 'dependent' for two days in the hospital, as well as for nine months in my belly. So any time I have to write down a "0," a "none," or a "no" when filling out any type of form or even some job applications, it sucks. Plain and simple - it just sucks. I went to a new doctor a couple of months ago and I had to fill out the usual form about my medical history and next to pregnancies I wrote "1," next to live births I wrote "1," and next to people in my household, I wrote "3." I then went on to say that it was me, my mother, and my father - which was a guaranteed set up for an awkward situation when the doctor overlooks that and asks "how's the baby?"
I guess it's going to take a long time for me to get used to thinking of myself as a mother from my heart and soul's point of view, but being a single 23 year old with no children in society's point of view (if it ever happens at all).