Jennifer Aniston just left a gift under the tree for women ages 25-35. Will you unwrap it?

Jennifer Aniston just left a gift under the tree for women ages 25-35. Will you unwrap it?

“I wish someone had told me to freeze my eggs”, she said in a recent interview.

In truth, egg freezing wasn't approved for mainstream use until October 2012. Jennifer was 43 at the time—an age when most clinics won't even offer the procedure.

And yet, she carries the guilt. So do millions of women watching her interview, wondering if they've already waited too long.

According to Newsweek, Hetal Patel, 36, watched that interview and something shifted. She saw the pain in Jennifer's eyes, and then watched her snap back into that radiant, composed version of herself we all know.

"That contrast stayed with me for months. It made me think about how many women carry that quiet grief alone."

That moment forced her to confront her own life: her struggle to find a partner and growing concern about her biological clock.

Hetal’s Indian American relatives advised her to "settle" for a partner who met 20 to 40 percent of her needs. Her response: “I refused to build my life on that”.

She decided to preserve her future. She didn’t do it out of fear, but out of empowerment.

“Egg freezing became the way I could protect that possibility for myself, instead of waiting for someone else's timing to align with mine."

She courageously began the process. She retrieved eight eggs. They are now frozen, waiting for her timing.

But here's what haunts me: even women who know their options still don't act.

Last week, I saw a new physician—Yale-trained, working at a top medical group, family history of early menopause. When I told her what I do for work, she confided she's been "meaning to freeze her eggs" for years.

She's 36. Still waiting.

Why do even the most informed women hesitate?

Often it’s the optimism trap saying they’ll meet the right person any day now.  Or the cultural shame of choosing a non-traditional path. Maybe it’s the pain of realizing life isn’t going as planned. The $10k price tag competing with every other life goal.

After I shared my story, she made the appointment.

Ladies, you’ve been given a gift that past generations of women didn’t have: the ability to choose motherhood on your own timeline.

Some of us, like Jennifer, still carry sadness and regret.

But it’s up to each of us to accept it and take action.

Hetal's advice for women considering egg freezing:

"Do it from clarity, not fear. Do it because you want the option to build a family in your own time, in your own way—without waiting for someone else's readiness to align with yours.

"You don't need to wait for a partner to value your dreams. Choosing yourself is still choosing family."

If you've been putting off freezing your eggs, this wake-up call could be your early holiday gift.  DM me if you want to talk through your options.