Julia’s piece, “Tough Love,” is an incredibly touching and moving story. She fully captures her deep love for her future baby girl and shows how much she wants to keep her. As I read the story, I felt within me the loneliness that she suffered when everybody left her on her own for fear of the unknown.

I believe that though fifteen years is very young, if one truly feels compassion and an undying love for their unborn baby, they should be allowed to keep him/her. If a woman really does dream of becoming a mother, she should be allowed to fulfill her wishes regardless of her age.

Fifteen-year-old Julia truly yearned for a baby girl more than many appropriately-aged mothers had. She was completely committed to this child and was prepared to sacrifice everything for her, such as school and her own family. Julia endured both emotional and physical abuse from her step-mother, her boyfriend broke up with her, and she was disowned, but her incredible love for her daughter kept her fighting.

I feel that Julia’s family and friends should have been much more supportive of her regardless of their feelings towards her pregnancy. Though they may totally despise the idea of her having a child, they cannot leave her on her own to die. They have to come up with a compromise. They must remain a caring family to Julia no matter what, because after all, she is only a teenager.

Julia’s story really moved me. I saw a girl, merely two years older than me, go through an astonishingly traumatizing experience with strength and courage. She knew exactly what she wanted and had the willpower to make it happen. I believe that if Julia hadn’t given up her baby, she would have not only remained the same great person, but she also would’ve become an amazing mother.