Woman, 38, breaks down in tears after realising she does want to have kids and get married

A 38-year-old woman is devastated after coming to the realisation that she wants a family, breaking down in tears as she worries it may be too late.

Last month, Melissa Persling wrote a viral essay for Business Insider titled: “I’m 38 and single, and I recently realised I want a child. I’m terrified I’ve missed my opportunity.”

In the essay, Melissa explained how she got married when she was 22 years old.

“He wanted a simple life with children and home-cooked meals,” she said. But, she made it clear that she did not want to be a mother.

“At that time I felt very strongly I did not want children, that I wasn’t going to be like the traditional housewife. I knew I did want to pursue a career,” she told Fox News Digital.

Despite their differences, Melissa and her ex thought they could make it work, but they split eight years later.

After the divorce, Melissa was sure she didn't want kids and didn't think she'd want to get married again.

“I told my friends and family I’d never get married again. I needed independence, a fulfilling career, and space to chart my own course, and I didn’t think marriage fit into that vision," she wrote in the essay. "I was content to look toward a future without a husband, children, or the trappings of a 'traditional’ life.'"

Fox News Digital

But, as the years passed, she started to change her mind and became struck by the fear that her chance to build a family had passed, breaking down in tears as she told Fox News Digital how she feared she would end up alone.

“I was panic-stricken. I really thought I’m going to be alone forever. It really scared me. I almost wrote [the article] as sort of a warning to other women," she said.

She says she blames feminism, in part, for her negative view of marriage.

“I feel unbelievably betrayed by feminism, and I don’t want to put it on the movement [entirely] because I believe you make your own choices," she said. "But I was constantly fed this idea that women can do everything. We don’t really need men… I kind of want to go back to some of those teachers and coaches and say, ‘What did you mean by that? Because we can’t do it all'.”

Fox News Digital

Fortunately for Melissa, there may be a happy ending to her story after all.

Shortly after the Business Insider article was published, she started dating a man who she'd previously been friends with.

Dishing the details on her new relationship, she explained: "So it’s a guy that I’ve been friends with, and we’ve always just sort of stayed in touch. And we did go on one date about a year ago, and I told him, 'I just want to be friends with you'."

But, after her epiphany regarding wanting to settle, she quickly realised that he was 'the one.'

"This is the one that God's been preparing for me," she said. They are now talking about their future together.

• Woman marries convicted death row murderer weeks before his execution
• Woman diagnosed with three different cancers after learning her husband of 30 years had cheated on her
• Robert Irwin breaks down in tears about dad Steve before honouring his legacy
• Zendaya’s mum reacts to claims she and Tom Holland got secretly married