I just got in touch with an old family friend.
It's been.. eh, a while since we've talked.
I didn't realize how long.
Her son, who was my brother's best friend at one point,
just had his son a few days ago.
He's twenty-one.
And he also has a two year old daughter.
WHAT!?
I saw pictures and they're gorgeous.
Cadence and Carl Jr.
I'm just so shocked.
This is the fourth set of old friends - mine or my brother's -
that have been teen parents.
Mind you - nothing wrong with that.
I have close friends who were teen mothers/fathers.
I respect the hell out of them.
But it's just so nuts to think about.
What if we had stayed in that area?
What if that had been the direction I took?
Now honestly, and realistically,
living there didn't mean I'd be any certain way.
I always had my strong drive for getting far in education,
and having children a bit later in life.
And I know I wouldn't be able to handle a child now.
I want my first at 24 - and that's four years away and it's scary to me.
I can't imagine this age.
I give serious kudos to all teen parents.
You're brave. And admirable for stepping up.
I just can't. I'm mind blown.
TWO KIDS?
And I didn't even know about the first.
I feel very out of touch.
And honestly, I just keep thinking how my life would have been different.
If that had been me, I mean.
Geez.
I have a friend that I met in 2nd grade who had a baby in April. I went to her baby shower and as much respect that I have for her, I would NOT be able to do it. I look at my cousins (they are 3 and 5) and I know I'm definitely not ready. I have so much I want to do before I can take care of someone else. I can barely even remember to EAT! How am I supposed to remember to feed someone else? (yeah...I jumped out of bed after getting a call this morning and rushed out of my house without breakfast. Then at my aunt's I remembered that I hadn't eaten anything).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, this kind of thing always brings up a bunch of questions for me to ponder. Then I remember that I don't want kids for like seven years so I don't have to be ready to have kids.
I've had several student who walked the road of being teen parents. I watched them struggle with judgment, finish school, and then turn out to be amazing parents. I am so proud of them.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine have children at my age (21) even....though I know my Mom had me at 20 and my husband Angel's mom had him at 16... but what a coincidence, I'm also thinking 24 is a pretty good age to start having kids.
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