Sweet sixteen— not yet an adult, no longer a kid; carefree, hard headed, and often stubborn.
I was a sixteen year old.
And like any other sixteen-year-olds, my only priority was my welfare. I often go out with my circle of friends, which became like my second family.
But, in addition to everything stated above, I am also going to bring another human being into this world. Sixteen and pregnant. Cliché, right?
It all started in a single text message; then facebook chat; then everyday conversations. And before I knew it, my day would not be complete without talking to him. He became my world and I, his.
Everything turned upside down when I got pregnant. I was forced to skip acting like a teenager and and be mature about my life choices, cause it is not only about me anymore. I learned to adapt; to adjust to the things that I was used to. No more waking up late in the morning, no more staying out late in the evening and no more spontaneous day-outs with friends.
One of the major adjustments that I have done would be my relationship with my friends. We were once so close. However, after the pregnancy, they gave me the cold shoulder. They were hurt that I did not tell them about my newfound romance, my pregnancy, and everything that I am going through. This is not the best part though. It is that my friends avoided me for the fear of being influenced into being a teenage mom.
As the saying goes, our best friends are our worst enemies. This is because we know too much of each other; our likes and dislikes. Some hide things even from their best of friends because they know that their friends would disapprove. They are afraid of being judged by those who are closest to them, because it is their opinions that matters the most.
Let us remember though, that they called the “best friend” for a reason. They are there to understand us when everybody else has chosen to turn their backs on us. They are there to share our burden, to listen to our problems. They are our best friend, because even though we will sometimes stray from each other, we always find our way back.
Sadly, this was not the case for me. Don’t get me wrong. We still are friends, however, not the same level of friendship that we had before.
Now, I am an eighteen year old— of legal age, a young adult. If you’re asking me if I have any regrets, then the answer is yes. I want to tell every teen out there to set their priorities. Know what you truly want to do in life and focus on it. If possible, and you should make it possible that you postpone your pregnancy until you are ready— financially, mentally, emotionally and physically; cause the life of a teenage mother is not a joke.
But things had already happen and I have to live with the consequences of my actions. However, I believe in second chances; that someday I can achieve my goals in life even though there were stops along the way. My baby is not a distraction; he is my inspiration. Everything I do, I do it for him. This is why I want to go back to studying because I know that it through proper education that I can give him a brighter future.
I am Iris, and this has been my story.