Dear Michelle Obama

Dear Michelle,

You posted a passionate and desperate message about your heartbreak over the decision the Supreme Court has made to overturn Roe vs. Wade on Instagram. You are heartbroken for the women and girls who are now seemingly powerless and no longer in control of their own lives, that their dreams will be dashed, and many will have to face a life of isolation, poverty, and pain. You are heartbroken many will have to risk their lives getting illegal abortions in the absence of support, encouragement, and love. You urge people to get involved, educated, and to donate to abortion funds, to continue to fight for an America that we all want, a just and equal society.

I have a message for you.

Women are capable and strong. We have an unsurpassed ability to nurture and love. We can do hard things. We can have our children and fulfill our dreams and aspirations. We can change the world by loving our families. We do not need abortion to be any of these things. Our strength, our power, and our abilities do not hinge on access to invasive medical procedures or deadly synthetic hormones and drugs. I invite you to think about this from a different perspective. Please read my response to the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with an open mind and heart and just think about the society and the world we could build…

I am overjoyed today.

I am overjoyed for the unborn children that have just been given the fundamental right to life and have their bodies protected from abortion.

Finally, there is a step in the right direction instead of another one that takes us further into a culture of death and hopelessness. For too long, abortion laws and practices have been edging further and further away from what is ethical and good for our society.

I am overjoyed that maybe now we will be able to move forward into a brighter, more just world where all human life is protected and treated with dignity. A future where no woman faces pregnancy alone. Where they are valued, supported, and encouraged throughout their pregnancies and beyond. Where they are not so badly failed by society that they believe their only option is to kill the child in their womb.

I am hopeful that the pain of abortion, especially for those who were forced, coerced, or abandoned, will be experienced less and less and less. That the world will see a seismic shift in the way we view mothers and motherhood.

So yes, I am hopeful for the teenage girl full of zest and promise, that she will be able to finish high school and parent her child or be supported through the courageous decision to go through adoption because she has a family, a school, and a community that fully supports her in a time of crisis. That she receives the encouragement and love that gives both lives a chance to thrive.  I am hopeful for the mother of a child with a fatal condition that she has access to doctors and facilities that will walk with her through the most difficult time of her life with courage and dignity; for the parents to rise to the challenge of caring and providing for their child and grandchild so that they both flourish; for the healthcare workers, that they no longer have to participate in the indignity and darkness of abortion and can offer life-affirming care they can be proud of.

In this country, our futures are tied together in a delicate tapestry that we each have a hand in making. Too often cynicism or indifference makes us feel like we don’t have a say in weaving it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The more we allow pessimism to push us further into hopelessness, the less we will be empowered to help create the kind of country we want to live in.

This landmark decision will have ripples across our country and across the world. It must be a wake-up call, especially to the lawmakers, the healthcare workers, the churches, the communities, and the families. All of whom can make the difference between pregnant women facing crisis alone and in fear or with support, encouragement, and love so that both lives can thrive. This is a future for everyone, including the unborn. This is the time to work together to build a country for our children to inherit that is based on equality and love. 

This moment is only the beginning, our story does not end here. Now is when the hard work truly begins. Now women in crisis need us more than ever. It may feel like we cannot do much.  But we can. And we must.

If you’re like me and you want to get started right now, I encourage you to channel your energy into action by getting involved. Organizations like Human Defense Initiative, Let Them Live and Live Action among countless others are ready and waiting for volunteers, donations, and activists to join them. Help them to continue their life-affirming work, supporting women and families financially, practically, and emotionally so that they can choose life and flourish.

We are overjoyed today. But we cannot become complacent. We must now put our pro-life beliefs into action and work to give women and their families what they need. We must build strong communities in our neighborhoods, our schools, and our churches so that in a crisis a woman knows where she can go to receive the love, support, and encouragement that she deserves. We have so much to do, to rally for, to speak for – and I know we can do this together.

Photo by Nicola Styles on Unsplash

Katherine

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Teacher and mother of four who firmly believes in the worth and dignity of all humans, born and unborn.

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