Opinions and Choices

I always told my daughters
that if they
(the boyfriend and them)
weren't in a position
to raise a child
then they were in no position
to have sex.
I explained how the eldest,
always being the determined sort,
persevered beyond
condoms and birth control.

Even before it was cool or in,
or a 'thing,' I told my daughters
that their bodies were sacred
but that if they became pregnant
it was no longer
only their body involved.
Mid-teen years they babysat
(my son as well)
the worst two-year-olds
I could find--the ones
no one else would babysit.

My husband is adopted.
Abortion wasn't legal in 1951.
If he hadn't been born,
two daughters, seven grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren
would not exist. He thanks
his birth mom for having the courage
to give him up,
for not finding a way
to cut the thread
to generations.

In our lives
we make numerous choices.
Each choice
has ramifications,
consequences,
and responsibilities,
all of which we must own.
And live with.
Sometimes, things happen
beyond our choice
creating complications
we feel
we may not be able to live with,
or we may rise beyond ourselves
in order not to blame the innocent.


Each of us is different,
each should choose the path that is right
for all concerned. Not easy.
It should not be.
And if you choose
differently, than I might,
it is (or should be)
your informed choice.
I have no right to gainsay
your decision, nor you, mine.