‘Oh wow, she’s YOURS? Don’t you feel like you’re missing out?’ It hurt. My ego was busted.’: Young mom says, ‘God put her into my life early so I could love her a little longer’

“I got the, ‘Oh wow, she’s yours?’ question again yesterday.

‘Aren’t you young? Don’t you feel old now? Don’t you feel like you’re missing out? Yeah, I waited until I was 29. I couldn’t imagine doing it before then.’

It hurt. I’m not going to lie. Especially because this is a mom I looked up to. She is a beautiful lady, successful in her career, parents well, and her daughter is adorable.

My ego was busted. It sucks when people think my age has a correlation to my child. That my life is less now.

Before Ella, Tyler and I would binge drink on the regular, go to the casino, and take trips on a whim. We were merely just ‘vibing,’ going with the flow, making our way through life.

Ella gave us purpose. Ella gave us a reason to be more and do more with ourselves. I see life through a different pair of eyes now.

Having a child doesn’t make me JUST A MOM. I am more than a mom.

Tyler and I still go out. But when we do, we find now that an overcrowded bar, with overpriced drinks, and people just standing around, isn’t all that fun anymore. We much more enjoy a good night out at a friend’s house, enjoying our six-packs or going to an Indians game or a night out at the casino with a good dinner.

That isn’t to say we don’t have fun with Ella, we do. But I want to make the point that being young parents doesn’t take away our joys beyond parenting.

Because I’m young, I have benefits of my own, like climbing through the jungle gym with her, crawling in the back seat when I need to. Chasing her around isn’t as hard.

God put her in my life early so I could love her a little longer.

Please do not look down on me as if I am less. My age does not reflect my ability to parent.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Jessica Edmisten, 23, of Ohio. You can follow her journey on Instagram here. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

Read more stories from Jessica here: 

‘Had I just been a part of a cheating scandal? I wanted to vomit. I immediately called him out, probably sent him a million swear words.’: Woman shares ups and downs of their ‘non-fairy tale’ story

‘I had plans to graduate. We’d both just gotten good jobs. Why was this happening to us NOW?’: Young mom says age doesn’t matter, ‘We will always be exactly where we need to be’

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