THE BEAUTIFUL ONES THAT WERE NEVER BORN.

I visited a friend's baby today, a new born. I choose to call the baby "Precious". Not that its the name her parents gave her, no. I just chose to call her that.

You see I have known "Mummy Precious" for a long time. When she was a young girl, making the most of her prime. She had been with child 8-9 times before. I am not sure, but I am certain it is not less. And she decided not to birth them all.

You see why I call this Baby precious? She is the first child her mother decided to give life.

Her mother may have had her reasons to take away the lives of those before her, even before they came life. But they too were precious. Sadly, their mother never valued them so.

My mother would kill me. I am just a student. I am not married. What would people say? How would I feed a little mouth and myself?Who would want to marry me afterwards? These and more are a young unwed mother's fears. The women may say they have too many mouths to feed already. My husband and I are out of jobs,so so and so.

There have been worse circumstances to decide to keep a child. Ask the rape survivors of the war torn regions of Sudan.

Children are a gift from God. So tiny, so innocent. They did not web the circumstances that brought them to life. Mothers realize this at the first glance of beholding them.

Babies are beautiful. As soon as they are born, they warm into the hearts of everyone. And no one remembers the pain they had feared the child would bring. We receive them joyously, without knowing what they may ever become. Not knowing if they would even live long enough to take their first step. But with all uncertainty about the future, we love them with all our hearts.

Why then should what seems like "certainty"of the present day make us cut-short the most beautiful thing that may happen to our lives.

There are many reasons a mother may regret the birth of her own child. The regret of not pulling through with a contemplated termination is hardly ever one of them. For 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line, it becomes plain to see that no one knew tomorrow.

Welcome to the world Baby Precious, I must say. Welcome to a world where everyone strives to stand a chance. A word where harsh realities hit everyone - the wanted and the unwanted alike. None is guaranteed to bring more happiness. For fate favors none better.