We chose to use this story in our podcast. I read it actually for fun on a long trip one day. It had quite an impact on me. It really made me sad to think about how so many young adults feel like children. They feel as though they cannot make their own decisions, and that they will compromise the love of their parents by making a mistake. This seems absurd to me. Parents should make it very clear to their children from the time they are able to comprehend spoken language, that while there is definitely a difference between what is right and wrong, that they will ALWAYS love their children no matter what they do, and that there is NO problem that does not have some kind of solution. Although I know this short story is fiction, it was written in response to a real scenario that seems to be ocurring more and more. It seems to me also that young adults should also be made more aware of the options that they have given these difficult situations. For example, in this story, even an abortion in secret would have been much better for the couple than what they chose to do. I also believe that young adults should be more encouraged to seek counseling, and to be ensured that it is normal for almost everyone to need some type of counseling at some point in their lives. Those who never need it are the strong ones. However, there are many who need it who never get it. I feel lucky to know that I can talk to my parents about my problems, and also that I feel adult enough to make my own decisions and find my own rational solutions to problems that arise.