Among those of us who live with adoption on a daily basis, there is sometimes a tendency to judge anyone who ended up choosing another option, such as single parenthood. I suppose that's a normal reaction; if you think you yourself have done the "right" thing, you'd hope that others would also make the same choice. (The opposite is also true. If you have lingering doubts about your choice, you may be even more vocal about insisting it was the right one.)

Personally, I don't agree with judging what anyone does when faced with a crisis pregnancy. I believe adoption is an intensely personal choice, and one that is by no means right for everyone. And I applaud anyone who tackles single parenthood and makes it work, especially when circumstances such as age or education make parenting even more difficult than it already is.

That's why this article is so inspiring to me. It's a story about a young woman who kept her baby and seems to be raising him well, while still managing to make progress on achieving her own goals. But it's important to note that she couldn't do it alone. It's all about having a supportive family network.

Of course, in future posts I'll call attention to news stories about women who chose adoption, because their struggles and accomplishments are just as inspiring. If you see an article in the news, let me know! Post here or e-mail me at crisispregnancyblog@adoptionmail.com.