The Person That Changed My Life
September 11, 1997. This is a date that I will never forget as long as I live. It is the day that changed my life forever; I found out that I was going to be a mother. The effects of my pregnancy would be long-lasting and many; I hurt my parents and I was forced to grow up, but it triggered a lot of positive changes too.
In early September, I made the decision to move back to my hometown of Mount Gilead, Ohio; I was barely eighteen at the time. Prior to the move, I had been living in Cortland, Ohio and I had been ‘sewing wild oats,’ as my mother would have said; I never thought that teenage pregnancy would happen to me. I was at a very low point in my life; all of my friends had graduated about three months prior but the school would not allow me to since I was about two credits shy of my diploma. So, I was alone, homeless, and had no direction in my life.
Shortly after the move, I found out I was pregnant and subsequently told my parents. To say that they were disappointed would be a huge understatement. My mother would not speak to me for days and my father cried like I had never heard him cry before. After much discussion, it was decided that I would move in with my father and step-mother until I was able to support the baby and myself.
The pregnancy caused me to think of many things I would not have thought of before like where I would live long-term, what kind of career I would go into, and what I wanted to do with my life. Since I was without my high school diploma, my career options were limited so I decided to contact my old high school for assistance. The school decided to let me return to earn the credits necessary for my diploma. It was a humbling experience since I had to attend school during the latter part of my pregnancy, but I was grateful to have had the opportunity and to be able to earn my actual diploma.
When my son was about three months old, I decided that I had to look for a new job because a minimum wage job would not suffice since I had to raise him on my own. I was able to secure a job at the company where my step-mother worked and so began my career at *****, where I still work today. The job also helped me to be able to afford my own apartment.
Dating was very difficult as a single mother. Most young men did not want to settle down or to be in a relationship with a single mother. After two and a half years of fruitless dating, my husband and I discovered each other. He was not deterred by the fact that I had a small child and one of the reasons I decided to marry him was because of what a great father he was and how wonderful he was with my son. We married in 2004 and had our first child together, a son, in 2006. We remain happily married today.
I have accomplished so much in the past ten years, overcome many adversities, and experienced more joy than I ever expected to. I am happy that did not become another statistic of teen pregnancy and that I have been able to do great things with my life. I credit my son, Adrian Tylar A*****; it is because of him that I am the mother and woman that I am today.
Here is a newborn picture of the little guy:
They grow so quickly! *sigh*
No comments:
Post a Comment