Waking up every morning, I take a few minutes to appreciate my life. I look around and think of how fortunate I am to be here. I take time to reflect on all the memories I’ve made— memories that would never have existed if I hadn’t been born.

It’s not an easy topic to talk about for some. Making the decision of giving away a child has to be gut-wrenching, the hardest choice any parent has to make; however, it’s one that is going to start someone’s life rather than ending it.

Adoption is something that not only benefits the person carrying the baby but also for someone out there who is unable to conceive. Adoption is the greatest gift of life: to give someone a chance at parenthood and to relieve someone who isn’t ready to start a family. If adoption wasn’t an option then there would be too many kids, unborn or abandoned. I myself would be one of those kids.

Abortion is what I would refer to as a band-aid on an open wound. It will relieve the pain for a little while, but the scars left behind will only remind you of what happened. I understand for some people discovering they’re pregnant can be scary, and even scarier, fighting over whether to keep the baby or stop the pregnancy. But what they might not think about are the people out in the world, who far from scared, are excited at the thought of bringing a baby into their family through adoption.

I can only imagine what my biological mother was thinking, discovering she was pregnant with twins, terrified at the thought of caring for two children. Where only one would be daunting for a single mother, twice the clothes, twice the expenses, twice the reminder of a non-existent father as well as many other adversities the average person doesn’t have to think about. Luckily, she didn’t have to endure such a task, and she made the choice of giving someone who was ready a chance at parenthood. She chose, in my opinion, the best option, adoption.

Everyone deserves the right to live. Life is a fundamental right. When choosing to abort, someone isn’t  just exempting herself from the troubles of parenthood, but she is also taking away someone’s right to live. Doesn’t every child, born and unborn, deserve life in all its glory and tragedy?  It’s something that shouldn’t be able to be taken away, something unalienable, especially from someone who can’t yet speak for himself.

Adoption can be a way to find a positive aspect out of being pregnant as someone is giving to someone who is in need. I know when my mom found out she couldn’t have children she looked to adoption as the solution. It was by luck that she adopted me and I am forever grateful. If my biological mother had aborted me, I wouldn’t be able to imagine what would’ve happened, I wouldn’t have known my real mother, I wouldn’t have gone to school, found love in life, hope in desperation, I wouldn’t be here writing how I feel, but they took a chance on me, and there are more out there, unborn and more deserving….

Abortion is another way of dodging responsibilities as a parent. Having the child may be strenuous but it’s the raising of the child that takes the most effort and time. Not being prepared for a demanding position as a parent is understandable. Deciding to entrust someone else with a child isn’t shameful, it’s giving that child a chance to have a much better life and grow up in an environment possibly better than one that would have been provided.

Adoption over abortion: some would say it is a constant battle over which one is acceptable. Giving someone the chance at life is always the best option rather than terminating a life for any reason. Life is a gift, and every life deserves a chance. I can say that my biological mom made the best decision, one that helped give me a life full of happiness and blessings. Choosing adoption over abortion is the best decision for all involved.