Adoption Option

Every once in a while I have to ground myself from reading the news paper because often I read a story and it stays with me for days. It sets my mood and is a total buzz kill. A few days ago my husband brought the paper home and I read the front page. It was depressing.  A car accident, a home invasion that lead to the death of a college professor and then an article about the death of  a baby. Of course I was drawn to the story about the baby. 

As I read the story I found myself clinching my fists and shaking my head.

A young mother, 22 years old, killed her baby girl. The autopsy said the baby died from blunt force trauma I believe. The young mother threw the baby at her boyfriend during a heated argument, shook the baby and hit the baby's head on the door frame while walking threw the house. She said she was under a lot of stress and had actually considered giving the baby up for adoption but people made her feel bad for even thinking it.

I know the stress of being a young mom. I gave birth to my oldest son shortly after I was old enough to vote. I was very inexperienced when it came to babies. Truth be told I was clueless. I was young, scared and in a rocky relationship. I know how easily a young Mom can lose her mind. Fortunately, I had an amazing support system. I had someone to tell me it would be ok, to encourage me and show me right from wrong.

I teach a craft class a couple times a month. My students are teenage Moms who have been misplaced or need guidance. When I first accepted the position I wondered what I could possibly teach them other than how to successfully use a hot glue gun without gluing your hand to your forehead. Now that I've read the article about this young mom I feel like I need to teach them  more. I want them to know that it's ok to be frustrated! It's ok to be overwhelmed! But they need to know how to deal with it! They need to know that it's ok to ask for help. Common sense tells us it's not right to throw a baby or shake them. But not every one uses their common sense when they are overwhelmed. Especially young people.

These girls need to know that adoption is not a failure on their part. It does not make them horrible mothers at all. It saddens me to think that 2 lives could've been saved if the ignorance of others could've been squashed. If those people would've just kept thier mouth shut and used thier brain a young mother might've done the right thing and she wouldn't be going to prison and a loving couple would be welcoming a baby into their home. There are so many people out their who, for whatever reason, can't have children of their own. And there are young women out there who feel like adoption is a failure on their part. It's not.