Mistakes Don’t Define You #206

Happy new week to all the wonderful ladies of Hive! I hope you're all doing well. This week's contest focuses on the strength of a woman, how she can turn her toughest moments into valuable life lessons. I’m excited to share my own experience and what I’ve learned from it.

I've shared this story on Hive before, but I’d like to revisit it for those who may have missed it. It all started with my first pregnancy. It happened out of wedlock, and I had to face shame and a lot of uncomfortable situations, but in the end, I made it through.

My parents are deeply religious and hold important positions in the church. In our family, any kind of misconduct was simply unacceptable, but this situation still happened. When I became pregnant, I was thrown out of the house. My mother said I had brought shame upon her, and even my closest neighbors wouldn’t speak to me. It was a difficult time, and I had to move in with a friend to get by.

My boyfriend was the only support I had during this time. At first, I was almost angry with him for getting me into this situation, but I soon realized we both shared the responsibility, as it was done in moments of fun and pleasure. I believe my struggles were a consequence of my actions, and I felt as though everyone saw me as someone who had made the biggest mistake of her life.

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It was especially hard because my parents were respected church workers, and their daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock was a huge disappointment.
My own parents threw me out of the house, not caring what would happen to me. Whenever I tried to come back home, they didn’t want to see me, and they wouldn’t even call. Despite everything, I’ve since forgiven them. Even my friends stopped talking to me for a while. I was left alone to start my journey.
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At that point, my pregnancy wasn’t really showing, so I began searching for jobs around the city. I got rejected from the first two places I tried. But when I went to the third place, their receptionist had recently left, and they were urgently looking for someone to fill the position. I gathered the courage and applied. To my surprise, despite being pregnant, I felt strong at the job. I used that time to learn and grow, and I even found favor with my boss.

When he asked about my situation, I lied, telling him that my husband had lost his job and I needed to support myself. He was shocked, but he extended the support I needed to continue.

At my job, I met a lady who had gone through a similar experience. After a long conversation, she helped me by giving me baby items like a bath set and more. Her kindness helped me find comfort in what I once saw as a mistake. I’m also grateful to my boyfriend for sticking by me, along with the few people who supported me.

Guess what? After I gave birth, I reconciled with my parents and went to visit them. Interestingly, two of the same friends who had rejected me also became pregnant out of wedlock. I didn’t judge them. Instead, I gave them the same baby items I had received as support, and they felt ashamed of how they had treated me.

Here are the lessons I learned:

•Never look down on someone who has made a mistake.

•Mistakes don’t define your life.

•Even in the midst of mistakes, find a way out and work through your challenges.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time and attention until next time!