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Part 1
Nothing new under the sun, Solomon wrote.
Seventy-seven years ago, first love, first date . . . alcohol.
She said no, he said yes.
She resisted, he insisted.
She got pregnant.
His family said, “Give it up for adoption.”
Her family said, “Abort it.”
She said, “I will keep it.”
The young girl chooses to have the baby.
Baby and mother rejected by the father.
She is cast out of the house, homeless and friendless.
Part 2
It is a gift from God.
It is your baby.
It will have a name.
It will become what you make of it.
It will give you both joy and heartache.
It is the greatest challenge you will ever face.
It, with a mother’s love,
Becomes a Son or a Daughter.
Because of you, It is loved.
Because of its mother,
It lives!
So I started as an It!
That was my mother. I can tell you this: No man ever had the courage and determination it took to raise this child. I have never understood one thing: In all those years she never stopped being in love with him.
There were no daycare centers and there were no food stamps. Just one mother and her love for her child. I tell you the truth: There is no power in heaven or hell that can overcome a mother like that. She passed away at age 94. I learned a lot about courage and trusting in God from her. I learned how to appreciate and respect women. I will always be grateful for her decision to keep me. It was not without pain and suffering, but in it all, God kept her and me.
