In the Beginning...

Maybe it's just because I'm a noob, but the idea of "the first post" is daunting to me. In all honesty, this blog has been sitting around for a while now with no posts to its name simply because I've had no idea how to start it. 

The question came to me as I was editing the layout today for the fiftieth time - why am I starting up a blog in the first place?

So I figured I'd explore that in the first one. The catalyst. The genesis. Can I make this any more dramatic?

Really though, why are you starting a blog anyway? Everyone and their dog has one.

Yes, yes, I'm aware. The mommy blog parade started a good long time ago. I simply entertained the idea as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed.

You see, I'm a teen mom. The term is not exactly flattering. The stigma is rather overwhelming. Thusly, I say this to all the other teen parents out there trying to outlive the stereotype - I know. I know how hard it is to try to make the best of your mistakes. I still get reproachful looks from elderly ladies when I take my young son and my pregnant belly to the grocery store. But I'm trying my hardest, and that counts for something, right? 

Back to the Facebook story.

As I'm scrolling through my feed a few months back, I'm marveling at the fact that a few girls I know/knew in high school that are all of a sudden adding me as friends. To be clear, I was never super popular in high school, and so it was only a few people that noticed when I did not come back for my senior year, and even fewer that knew the reason behind it. And yet, people that I barely spoke with through school wanted to reconnect with me? 

I did some digging and found that a couple of these girls had gotten pregnant in high school, after I had dropped out. Another couple girls announced that they were pregnant shortly after I accepted their friend requests. 

I had already reconnected with a friend (we'd known each other since middle school) who has just recently had a beautiful baby boy. She had gotten pregnant shortly after graduation. Before she delivered, she asked me a million questions about labor and taking care of babies and everything in between. I was more than happy to answer them, but expressed to her that I felt grossly underqualified to be preaching as I'd only had one of my own. It was nice to be able to share my experiences, though, as they seemed to help her to deal with the more difficult aspects of being a mom - though most of the credit for her support goes to her family.

Even before that, I was able to get together with another friend from high school who had gotten pregnant only a few months after I had. The baby's father decided to shove all responsibility in any direction but towards himself, and she made the tough decision to place her baby for adoption. She told me about how hard it was for her to go through the rest of her senior year with a growing tummy and a deadbeat babydaddy. She was able to find a wonderful family for her little girl and continue on to go to college. 

Both of these great young women have found something good in the mistakes they had made, and both had come to me for a little extra support when it was hardest for them. Now, I'm not trying to toot my own horn. I'm not saying that I'm oh-so-wise-and-knowledgeable. But I do know that sharing experiences can be healing for both ends. Now that I spend most of my time at home (and a good amount of that time is online due to the work that I do) the easiest way for me to reach out to anyone who cares to listen is through the fantastic world wide web.

Well, that was long-winded.

Sorry. I don't imagine I'll be as wordy in other posts. But now you know!

If you don't like it, don't follow me. Easy enough. I basically just wanted to put it out there that although mommy blogs are pretty freaking common, maybe I can put a twist on this one with new perspective.

If you're reading this, then I thank you for making to the end of my rambling! Props to you!