When I was 15, my mother gave me a beer bottle, a condom and something else, I don’t remember. It was a symbolic gesture, of course, but the power of that gift was memorable. It said, here’s a welcome mat: welcome to Pandora’s Box. Good luck, and I’m with you.

Being a mother, or father for that matter, is among the biggest decisions of many of our lives. You become responsible for the welfare of your little one(s)—and that responsibility changes you instantly, and for the rest of your life. The decision to become a mother, therefore, is among the most powerful we may ever make—and it’s best done with intent, rather than as a result of happenstance:

Via the Center for Reproductive Rights, by way of Feministing:

My Mom is an Inspiration from Center for Reproductive Rights.

Young women from the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice in New York City paid a visit to our office, and what they agreed to share with us was nothing less than inspiring.

The words of these young women were an invigorating reminder that young people do care about choice. And it’s not because social networks or movie stars are telling them to. It’s because of strong mothers who taught (and will continue to teach) them how to make the best decisions about their own lives.