14

i walked into a room to register an out-patient yesterday who had a ton of i.d. - social security card, insurance, picture i.d. from a local middle school system - and just as i was handing them back (i was still looking down at my clipboard at that point) before i had a chance to really "read" the school i.d., i asked, "are you a teacher there?"

when i was transferring the credentials from my hand and looked at the patient to hand them back to her, i said, "no, you are not - you are a student." it was barely audible, and the tears immediately sprang to my eyes. it was one of those emotions that was so sudden, so unexpected that i surprised even myself. i was not prepared.

she is all of 14.

i said "honey, are you scared?" her mom said, "yes she is." i gave her mom the papers to sign since she was a minor and looked over at her and said, "it is going to be alright...i will keep you in my prayers." as i was leaving, her friend/baby's father, all of maybe 15?, was on the other side of the curtain and i offered him a chair to sit down on, tried to give him a reassuring smile, and walked out of the room, thoughts racing.

"she is two years older than molly...two years younger than max...i could have taught her in c.c.d....she should be worrying about her nail color, not giving birth...oh, Lord have mercy..."

i am still rattled. 14!

what i discovered when i returned to my desk is that, at 14, if you are having a baby, you are considered emancipated so i had to return and have her sign the papers for financial responsibility herself. can you imagine the weight of that? after the birth of the baby, she goes back to being a minor. she cannot vote. she cannot drive a car. she cannot stay out at night past 11:00 p.m.

i can think of no better means of birth control for a teenager than the look on this young girl's face. i can offer no words of comfort to her and for what she is about to endure as she is induced this morning. i can only pray for this young lady as she continues on a journey that will take her to a thousand different places in her heart and in her life, a thousand times earlier than she should be...

Lord, have mercy on us all.


~*~*~*~ edited to update~*~*~*~

baby boy was born yesterday afternoon. grandmother and father of baby were present; teacher from school in waiting room. many relatives of father came within an hour, but waited to visit when "grandmother" of baby was present; it was a bit tense and the feelings in the air were palable - none of which i can accurately describe.

i understand she did very well during the delivery and that baby was healthy. i bless God that she was able to make the decision to remain pregnant and deliver a healthy, precious baby, but cannot help but grieve at how unfortunate this situation is all the way around.