I know many people who are adult children of divorce and refuse to have children. One of the most common excuses is “My parents’ divorce caused a lot of heartache and I don’t want to risk putting my own children through the same thing”. It’s as if they are expecting their own marriages to fail because their parents’ did.

I can see why this would be a fear, but your parents’ failures do not have to be yours. My parents divorced when my brother and I were young and it caused unimaginable pain. In fact, it still does. This experience made me decide that I never wanted to cause my own family this pain. I wanted to prove to myself, and to others, that I can be better than my parents. To this day, after having five children, I don’t regret this decision.

I will be honest: the pain I felt from my parents’ divorce has affected the way I parent, some good and some not so good. I work hard every day to be better. But my kids are happy. My wife and I are happy. My brother and his family are happy. I can’t ever imagine not having my children. To be honest, I don’t think my life would be as fulfilling if I never had kids.

If you are pregnant and considering abortion because you are worried your marriage may fail, you are not alone. The pain and wounds you may still carry from your parents’ divorce does not have to etch your fate into stone. You are stronger than the past. Think of the challenges you have overcome, and the challenges we see people overcome all over the world. The human spirit is strong and meant to conquer all fears.

Abortion is only a temporary solution. The end result always come back to haunt you. If you are still set on not having children in your marriage, then consider adoption. There are married couples everywhere who cannot have their own kids, and would do anything to adopt your unborn child. Give someone else the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Visit a free pregnancy resource center or clinic to find out what your options are!