There I was, 18 years old and terrified of what the next few months held for me. Since the moment I found out she was growing inside of me, I began making changes to my lifestyle, preparing myself for motherhood. I attended many pregnancy education classes and parenting classes. I told myself, If I was gonna do this, I was gonna do this the right way. I was going to educate myself and give it my alll. That's exactly I did. 5 days after my 19th birthday I gave birth to my daughter, Mackenzee Ryanne. I took motherhood and made it my own. I'm motherhood met me young, but I have fully succumbed to it. My age, race, and sexuality have absolutely no play on how "well" I raise my daughter. There is no magical maturity switch that flips when you turn a certain age. You make a choice to fight every single day to give your baby the best life you possibly can. Sure it wasn't the best timing, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve support. I am young, so teach me instead of belittling me and making me less of a person.