Wonderfully Unexpected, a birthmother's story

Adoption changed my life in a way that is almost hard to comprehend. I had never imagined at a young age that I would be influenced by adoption, and really had never thought much of it growing up. When I was seventeen, however, I got myself in a situation which required me to think about adoption quite openly. I was living a crazy life style, and became pregnant in the spring of 2007 and had a beautiful baby boy in February 2008.

It's hard for me to express my emotions completely about this subject. When I first became pregnant, I felt that my life had been ruined forever, and now I realize that this little boy saved it. I was heading in a direction that before too long there would be very little chance, if any, to turn back and start my life over. I had no goals, no ambition, and really no plan for my future. When I became pregnant, I started to focus more on my future because I wanted a good life not only for my child, but also for myself.

There have been many days since I placed my little boy with his amazing family, that I have had to review back to nearly two years ago. On days that I'm feeling devistated and down, I think back about when I felt I had no where and no one to turn to, and how I was able to make the right decision then for my little guy, and me.

Now I'm living a life that I probably wouldn't have been able to have had I not chose to straighten out my life. I am happily married to someone who loves my little boy about as much as I do, and we are expecting our first child in March. Adoption has totally changed my view of the world and other people. It has helped me become more compassionate towards other people and also stronger and more capable of handling life's every day challenges.

I owe almost everything I am today to that sweet little boy, and even though I ache quite often knowing that he is not in my arms or in my home, I am so thankful to know that I gave him the chance to have a life he deserved and a chance to have a family that would be able to give him everything he needs and so much more. I always tell people that he wasn't an accident, he just came when I wasn't expecting him. He has been a little angel in my life, and always will be. I will always hold a special place in my heart for him and his family, and a strong belief in the amazing and wonderful journey that adoption can be and how it can completely bless the lives of so many, in the most unexpected ways.

-Shannon