You cover this topic adeptly and sensitively, Annie. But I work with women who became mothers not by choice or accident, but by rape. A good number of these women were parented by women who also had been impregnated involuntarily. Sexual abuse has probably done more harm to more women, and their kids, than we could ever quantify. In many instances, it's generational. And it certainly pushes kids into the School of Hard Knocks.

What I've seen far too often over my 40 years in this work has been women broken physically and mentally, yet they're typically left to raise the child/ren they didn't "choose" in the first place. And often this responsibility comes with zero resources or support. The literally millions of families experiencing homelessness are proof of our society's distorted priorities--once they become mothers we don't seem to care, and we certainly don't support them. Plenty of blame--they shouldn't have had sex if they can't afford a baby--and no consequences for the sperm donor.

My rant isn't directed at you. I'm well over the sexual predators who think nothing of what they do to children and young non-consenting girls/women. And then the men stroll away, often for the next victim. Making it worse, those who sit in legislatures who vote down any crumbs of support for families struggling to survive.

Our new book, The Three Melissas -- The Practical Guide to Surviving Family Homelessness, (www.3Melissas.org) will hopefully shine a light on this topic.

Thanks for your insights and efforts!