"If the seed of springtime thought only of self, but never of the soil, the rain, and the sun, it would never bloom and blossom into flower and fruit. But once it forgets itself and goes outside itself, and even dies to seed-life for the sake of the soil and sun and air, lo! it finds itself renewed and beautified a thousand times." Fulton J. Sheen, "The Cross and the Beatitudes: Lessons on Love and Forgiveness"
I hear so many times the reason for aborting a baby is because it would interrupt the plans of the mother and father. When I hear this, I feel very sad for people who make this terrible choice for this reason. I think about my ideas about my life before I had kids, which were all very self-centered. I think about my life since and I know that my life is infinitely better because of my children! Of course, I did not know or think this possible pre-child.
Because of the opportunity to be a mom, I am a better person than I would have been otherwise. This is not to say that all women who are moms are better than those who are not, not at all! But it is to say, that for me in the person who I was prior to being a mom and the person I thought I wanted to be, in retrospect does not look all that happy and fulfilling to me. I'm glad that my path was changed by an unplanned pregnancy who is now a pretty awesome young man, followed by his sister who is also a pretty awesome young lady.
I wish there were a way to communicate this to young people facing an unplanned pregnancy. I know you think you cannot do this, or that you don't want your plans changed, but you don't know what the future holds. This crisis may in fact be a pivotal point in your life that brings you to a place of higher fulfillment! You can't imagine it now because you have other ideas, but you may actually look back at this "crisis" or "unplanned" pregnancy and be grateful!
This is hope, built on faith. Hope that the future can be filled with goodness, beauty and love. Faith in something you cannot see yet, your future, your baby, your life!
