At the tender age of 17, I met the man of my dreams. After receiving blessings from my parents, we decided to tie the knot.
After our whirlwind courtship and marriage, I presumed my life would settle down. How wrong was I. A mere three months after my wedding, I found out that I was pregnant. While I was extremely happy and thrilled, a part of me also felt scared. The thing I feared most, was losing my freedom, after all I had been regaled with such tales by some friends.
As expected, my life changed after giving birth to Shaheer, my precious jewel. While my life was suddenly filled with colour and untold happiness, I did lose my much coveted freedom. In addition to that, I became a stay-at-home mum as my maternal instincts were working over time! I could not bare to be away from Shaheer.
Reflections on when I gave birth at 18: The Good and Bad
However, truth be told: having a child is no joke. I don’t even have the words to describe it. I guess the closest terms are difficult, never-ending and occasionally frustrating! You have to be constantly on your toes. You have to be ready to step in and face any emergencies. The amount of sleepless nights, diaper changes and constant wailing is enough to drive anyone crazy!
Many a times, friends would ask if I regretted my decision of having a kid this young. But I’ve never regretted it. No doubt my friends refuse to believe me!
Shaheer’s presence into my life has taught me that life is about giving and sharing the love you have with others. I’ve learnt to be mature and responsible of the journey that lies ahead of me and the future of Shaheer that I am entrusted to mould.
A friend of mine recently asked me if I would ever encourage anyone my age to be a mum. My answer? No, never. As it takes so much out of you. You can say goodbye to going out as you please or enjoying life the way you like. You are suddenly in a world of restrictions. To sum it up, it’s a great change! – Zubaidah
