Our daughter was born a few months before my 17th birthday. (Here's Part 1 and Part 2 of this story.) The subject of adoption never came up. We had married and were excited and happy to become parents. I was probably more thrilled than my husband, but, he seemed ready to become a husband and father. He was a bit older than I was - nearly 22.

My daughter's reluctant paternal grandmother had a complete change of heart after our daughter (her first grandchild) was born. They developed a very warm and special relationship. Several years ago when my daughter's paternal grandmother died, my daughter grieved for her. She misses her still.

When I look at my granddaughter these days, I sometimes think of that decision so many years ago when I was pregnant with her mother. Had I made or been forced into a different decision, my daughter, granddaughter and her brothers might not exist. I feel so blessed that they do and realize how lucky I am.

Not all pregnant teens are ready, willing or able to parent. I was, and my parents somehow realized that, and did not try to pressure me into another choice. My parents knew nothing about adoption, but,they did knew the importance of family.

They were a bit skeptical initially about my ability to be a mom at such a young age, but, they trusted and supported our new family. I was determined to be a good mom and motivated to prove all the skeptics in our families wrong. And I did.

And as I watch my granddaughter now at play, my heart is full of love and gratitude that she, her mother and brothers are in my life. I know that had my parents not been the loving, wise family-oriented people that they were, it all might have turned out differently. I was lucky during my first unplanned pregnancy.

The next time I became pregnant five years later, my luck had run out. A very different choice was made - a choice that branded me as a birth mother for eternity. But, that's a whole other story. It is harder to tell.