Something to be Ashamed Of?

I spent the past weekend at a writers conference and became friends with several late-in-life moms. We traded stories as we walked to workshops or ate lunch or sat sipping cups of tea or coffee during breaks.
One Mommy-come-lately admitted some people's reactions made her feel like she should be ashamed of her Advanced Maternal Age status.
"This is a good thing?" one friend asked after finding out about her pregnancy.
Oh, the things people say.
Common courtesy dictates that you assume a pregnancy is a good thing and that you respond accordingly.
Even when I was reeling from my unexpected pregnancy at 41, I didn't need anyone else's negative reactions. I battled enough of my own. As a matter of fact, it was all the joy-filled assurances of other late-in-life moms that finally overcame my fears. Certainly no one ever made me feel ashamed or guilty that I was I late-in-life mom.
Children are a blessing, whether the mother-to-be is twenty or thirty or forty. There is no expiration date on that promise.