Adding On

Yesterday, things got off to a heck of a start, for sure!

Mandy woke me up by asking me for a hug, because of a text message she'd received bright and early yesterday morning. Seems that a person very close to both of us got some news that could have lots and lots of different interpretations as to how things will ultimately play out but right now, one could say I suppose that if that person is considering getting married, she probably could best be looking for maternity wedding dresses.

Mandy -I think -is taking this news a lot different from the way the prospective mother is viewing things -since the mother really hasn't said much about the situation other than just saying this is where things stand right now.

I, stopped regarding being single and pregnant as being the end of the world as we know it though a long, long time ago! Been there, did that and gee, I survived and so will just about everyone else who finds herself in this type of situation.

I can honestly say that being a single mother doesn't make parenthood a lovely walk in the park or anything like that as it does amplify the issues we all face as parents -very much -and often the biggest issue there is how to support one's self plus a child. It can be a very daunting task, for sure, but with a little extra legwork, planning and such, things can usually be worked out or around or some such.

I was fortunate in that my Mom came to live with me -closed up the family home in PA and she moved down to Maryland (I was working in D.C. at the time) and she stayed with me for 5 1/2 years then, until I got married. It wasn't always the greatest arrangement as Mom and I often had a not-so-great relationship but for my daughter, it was fantastic because she received the best and most loving care possible from Grandma. Financially, it was good for me too in that with my Mom living with us, I could work virtually any hours I could find for employment and not have to worry then about child care.

I share Mandy's concern for this young woman in this status now though simply because we had both wanted to see her be able to go on to school, to actually make something better for her life than what she's seen in her 20 years on the planet. But who's to say that it can't or won't still happen? Certainly not me, that's for sure!

I know for myself it served as a wake-up call, a hard landing in the world of reality, for sure! And considering that this young lady had begun to mature a good bit over the way she was a year or two ago, perhaps this is what she needs to bring her down to earth and understand a bit about the differences between wants and needs -priorities, ya know.

But whatever path she takes from here on out, as far as we're concerned, just so she knows that Mandy and I will try to be there for her whenever possible, to give emotional and moral support and hopefully, we can find ways to help her in other aspects as needed too!