Millennials of this generation recognize that our 20's are our "selfish years". In my case, I believed this was far from the truth! At the age of 22 I found out that my life would change in the most drastic way it possibly could- I was pregnant. As a college student pursuing her degree in public relations, this rocked my world. My goals to become a publicist and attend important events with important people were halted. I loved weekends and partying with my friends and bar hopping in new cities, and all of that changed overnight. I didn't really know how to feel at the time. More than anything, I was scared. Scared that I wouldn't be able to accomplish the goals I had set out to achieve. I thought my years in college would be for nothing because I would have an all new set of responsibilities that didn't fit well with the life I had imagined.
As the weeks went by, I became more and more accepting of my situation and way more excited than before. I started researching everything I needed to know to be a great mother and provider to my little one. I made the decision to continue to attend college and change my major to education so that in the long run, I would be able to have a career that coincided with my new life.
My belly started to grow and I began feeling the flutters of life. All I could think was, "How could I have ever doubted this path?". It was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt. However, it proved to be very difficult. Still attending college while trying to enjoy a pregnancy is extremely stressful and extremely tiring. Driving to school four times a week, taking four classes and waddling through campus, all while getting endless amounts of glares and confused expressions, was really overwhelming- but I was okay with all of that because all I could think about was the fact that it was all for my precious baby. My patience and willingness to get through the semester was truly tested once May rolled around and finals approached. Dealing with deranged hormones and hours of studying was not fun.
Fast forward to this very moment- I am 23 years old and my baby is 2 months old, and I couldn't imagine life without her. I am enrolled in four classes that I am taking online in the fall to ensure that I will be there for every one of my baby's milestones and still work towards my degree. Sure, things are a tad bit more complicated, but it is absolutely feasible! There are many young moms and dads who need the inspiration to continue to follow their dreams and achieve their goals, but are skeptical because of their new life as a permanent caregiver. Your little one may rely on you for absolutely everything in life, but it's still okay to want to work on your life, as well as guide them through theirs. I want to inspire these young parents to go after what their heart was set on before this new journey came into their life path.
I now know that it is possible to enjoy your "selfish years" but still know when to live selflessly.
