"Is that your little sister?" Wow. If I had a penny for every time someone asked me that in the past year; I'd probably be a millionaire. You know the comments I'm talking about. The ones that make you want to roll your eyes in the back of your head at the ignorance but instead you smile and proudly say, " No this is my daughter, and yes I was 18 years old when I had her!"

I started expecting my first born baby at 17 years old. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was May of my junior year of high school and a few days before the senior's graduation I had a doctor's appointment. I was sort of a sissy about those kinds of things so my mom went with me. I had no suspicion that I was pregnant. Sitting in that exam room waiting to hear, "You're good to go until next year!" instead I heard words that stopped my world in its tracks.

"You're urine sample is showing an HcG level. You're 3 weeks pregnant."

Tears immediately flooded from my eye as well as my mother's. For days I wondered why was this happening to me. There was no option to me whether I'd continue my pregnancy or not. The destiny of this child's life was not in my hands. No matter the challenges I had to bring this innocent child into the world, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't.

Know I know the answer to the question i wondered for so many months. This happened to me because something bigger than I knew I needed something, better yet: someone to live for. That someone is my daughter who so gracefully saved my life. She saved me from myself, who was not someone I was not proud of at the time.

I wake everyday to the sound of a baby needing fed. How awesome is that? I'm only 18 years old and someone needs and depends on me that much. All my life all I ever wanted was to be needed and wanted. My little blessing cries just because she needs held in the warmth of my arms. Just the thought of her needing my touch overwhelms my heart with love! Yes, I gave up a number of things in my life taking on the responsibility of a child. It's something i'll never regret though because for every one thing I gave up, I gained 10 more wonderful blessings! Being a young mother didn't ruin my life; it gave me a reason to better the one I had!