As a nation, we recently celebrated our 250th anniversary. Many families gather together for holidays such as this and other special moments in each other’s lives. Families share history together both good and bad. Tough moments and joyous moments. This helps to give a sense of belonging and connection that each of us needs.
Research has shown that if couples who experience an unplanned pregnancy have the support of family in choosing life, the couple will choose life for their child. The family will add another member who will soon become such an integral part of that family that none of them will be able to comprehend life without that child. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. If family members push the couple to have an abortion, the couple will more likely than not follow their advice. That family will still be changed by that life, but it will cause sadness and regret and a definite sense of loss for at least some members of that family.
Family matters.
Whether we have good or poor relationships with our family it matters. They are part of us. I am the person I am today in part because of the family I grew up with. As the youngest of 10, I spent my childhood working to not get ditched – left behind because I couldn’t keep up. I became a pretty fast runner. I think it is odd when people are surprised that I know all of my siblings’ birthdays. We celebrated those birthdays every year. How could I not know this? Like most families we had our good moments and our bad, but through it all we had each other.
Family matters.
Recently a mother of two chose to abort her third child. Not because of an abnormal fetal development and not because of financial hardships. She killed her child so her family would not ‘suffer’. But we know her family will suffer. Her two children lost a sibling. Something that will affect these children in the future as we learned in our program, “The Trauma of Losing a Sibling to Abortion”. Did she even consider this?
Abortion isn’t a private, personal action that affects no one. We were designed to be social, to desire community. Family is our most impactful community. When we lose a family member, everyone in the family grieves. Abortion affects the whole family.
I pray that as we continue celebrating our 250th anniversary, our nation will once again embrace and support the most fundamental unit of society – Family.
For Life,
Kate McAuliffe
Executive Director
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