Five months ago, a dear friend of mine had a one night stand with former flame of hers. He begged her that if she were to get pregnant, she would get an abortion, or else promise she should not hold the child over his head. For a split-second, she envisioned the scenario of getting an abortion, but she could not do it. The thought of murdering an innocent human being brought tears to her eyes; a child that would be a gift from heaven above.

Life is a gift, a very precious gift from God. We are taught to embrace it, to chase after every moment as if it is our last. We do everything in our power to make our lives easier, to learn basic skills, and to become better people; yet we never master it all.

Are we truly ready for life? We might say we are, but no one knows what life has in store. When it all comes down to it, no we are not. We are never “ready” for life, we purely flow along with it. Big or small, we all make mistakes. There is some type of regret we all hold in our heart and there is always something we look back on… even just one thing we could have done differently.

Alas, like a million shards of shattered glass, we cannot be perfectly pieced together again. Each shard that falls to the floor is a unique piece of artwork; it is a fragment of our lives in which cannot be duplicated. No matter how hard we try to reassemble the glass into its original state, it will never fit into the exact form.

This is a prime example of how we should view our lives.

“Do your best, prepare for the worst, then trust God to bring victory.” -Proverbs 21:31.

One of the most common scenarios that come to mind after reading this quote is premarital sex and having a child out of wedlock.

I cannot help but think it’s a possibility that multiple women get abortions so they will not be shamed for the rest of their lives for having a child out of wedlock. Yes, of course, there are numerous times where the fetus needs to be aborted due to severe health complications; however, I truly believe there is a connection between abortion and shaming unwed pregnant women.

People pity those who have children out of wedlock. We assume that child is probably a product of a mistake, but we fail to acknowledge that the woman, man, or both, raising the child are owning up to their responsibilities. We do not give either parent credit for loving their child and doing the right thing, nor do we directly focus on our own selves and mistakes.

It boggles my mind how people assume that just because someone is a young parent, they are “unfit” and “unstable”. Unless there is evidence of assault, cruelty, neglect or manipulation, it is not a stranger’s right to invade a person’s privacy and judge their parenting abilities.

There will always be several young mothers struggling to raise their young. How about we quit viewing them as the “weaker” members of society and turning up our nose at the sight of one? If our lives are not defined by our mistakes, then why should theirs be? Who knows, maybe their child will grow up to be a rocket scientist, a surgeon, or even a mechanic or teacher.

As I have previously stated, life happens; it typically happens when we least expect it to. It is not our actions that define us, but our reactions. Whatever obstacles appear in our path, we must learn how to adapt and grow from them.

Ideally, except for rape, incest or any other trauma, abortions should not be allowed. However, people do have the right to their own choices and opinions. My only hope is for everyone to be fairly educated on the subject before stating their own opinion. To all women who feel abortion is acceptable whenever they feel like it and the fetus “is just a bundle of cells”, I beg of you, please educate yourselves a little more on procreation and on love. Every living, breathing child is a miracle. NO, it is not “your body, your choice”. You may carry it inside you, but you are a separate body; and whether you will raise the child as your own or allow someone else to do so, you need to respect that.

To those women who have an opposing view and to unwed mothers:

I still love you, because that is the one thing we are called to do in life -- to love one another. We all make mistakes and we all live in this world, together. You never know what the future holds, but whatever seedling God gives to you, make sure you make a wise decision with it. A beautiful, blossomed flower remains a simple seedling until it is planted and given enough love and care for it to prosper and grow.