And as I lay in bed with tears streaming down my face and the taste of salt filling my mouth, I can’t help but remember every Mother’s Day I’ve felt like terminating my life.

I got pregnant by my high school sweetheart at 18. He left me once I got pregnant. Although I wanted to terminate my pregnancy, my parents made the choice for me to keep my baby. I don’t regret it one bit, she’s the love of my life..

But, Mother’s Day has always been a day for people to remind me that teen moms don’t deserve to be celebrated. 12 years later, and nothing has changed. I wish, so badly, that for one Mother’s Day I could feel special. Maybe even appreciated. For someone to say “good job, you’ve raised an amazing child all while putting your self through law school and becoming an attorney”. 

To another day, of patting myself on the back.