“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” – Mother Teresa
Abortion. Say the word on social media or in certain company and you are likely to regret bringing it up. But the practice remains and so the debate will wage on as long as it is acceptable within some circles. In my over three decades on the planet, few things shock me or leave me wondering. However since becoming a parent for the first time, mothers who support abortion have me puzzled.
The experience of growing a life is a profound experience. It sounds cliche but there is really nothing like it. With both of my babies I felt the changes happening in the first two weeks. It literally feels like something growing, rooting into your body. With my first pregnancy I didn't understand what the experience would mean for me or how it would change me. Now with my second, I am in awe of how quickly life forms. Even at an ultrasound at 10 weeks, I could see tiny little arms and legs sprouting from my child's torso. It took only those few weeks and my baby was already a tiny human.
Of course science would disagree with me. At this stage, I believe it is called a fetus and before that an embryo. To me my children were always my children, they were always my babies. And as they grow older and come home from school talking about those clinical terms, I will tell them that sometimes teachers aren't always right, sometimes scientists aren't always right. I will tell them that they were always humans who deserved to be here as much as anybody else.
I believe that is why I have such a hard time understanding how a mother, who has gone through the experience of pregnancy, could support abortion. From your very first appointment you hear the heartbeat, and later on you may have one or more ultrasounds, showing you exactly what is happening inside your body. With technological advances, there is little mystery to the process anymore. And I had hoped this demystification would lead to a revolution of thought, that life forms very quickly and that is should be treated with respect.
In the state of Minnesota, for instance, there are fines and punishment if you are caught uprooting the state flower, a Ladyslipper. Why do we not afford the same protection to our fellow humans? The quote from Mother Teresa seems to speak of her own puzzlement at the situation. How can we disregard something that brings such joy to our hearts and to the world? Is parenting challenging? Sure it is but the child that we grew, will allow us to grow in ways we could never even imagine. I only know this from going through the process and this is not said from not having experienced it myself.
My hope is that one day humanity will look back and wonder why we let this detestable practice continue. Why did we allow millions of opportunities for growth and joy to be cruelly ripped from this planet with less regard than taking a weed out of a garden. While I may never understand why some mothers agree with abortion, I know that eventually technology will be a force for good in this situation. It will show us even more of how human life progresses and why we need to protect the voiceless because they are the most in need of guardians after all.
