I'm pregnant and all alone

“I’m pregnant and all alone in this. Come back here and take responsibility. You’re leaving? You don’t want your baby?”

This is what I heard from the crying young woman on the sidewalk in front of my house. She’s a beautiful girl and it broke my heart to watch her despair.

 I wanted to tell her that she  isn’t alone. She’s not the first to fall in love and believe that he will stand by her and take care of her should something like this happen. She’s not the first to be surprised that he ran with his tail tucked between his legs. She’s not the first to be blamed and told that it is all her problem. 

I wanted to tell her that she isn’t alone. Her family will still love her, will love her child, and will be there to help her through this all. She isn’t alone. Someone out there will help her. 

Her life will be different. No doubt about that, but reality is that her life would be different as the years go by anyway, with or without a baby. She’ll meet new people, find new loves, and she’ll get through this. 

My heart breaks for her. 

Poison races through my blood to the young coward who abandoned her. How hard is it to realize that if a girl is old enough to have sex, she is old enough to get pregnant? Why can’t you be man enough to take responsibility to prevent that? 

Alas, that is a question that has probably been asked since the beginning of civilization. Teen pregnancy is nothing new. I don’t have the answers.