I love my sisters. All four of them. (3 bio/1 step) They are the only ones I've got, but dear lord can this one test me. It's December 29th, and I just received a holiday card from my sister Emily. No biggie, she's got four kids 2-7, she gets a grace period for just about everything. But check out the address label on the envelope... It is really bothering me.
I've never seen this before, so I'm guessing this a new kick for her, sharing her pro-life/anti-abortion stance with everyone she sends a card to, but really? Besides being generally obnoxious (I don't talk about being pro-choice around her), um you know who already freaking knows life is precious? Maybe her sister whose babies were a four year project (costing many thousands of dollars)? Or maybe the one who held her dead baby in her hands (4 yrs ago tomorrow)? Or the one who almost lost her twins and spent four months in bed so they wouldn't die or spend their first several months of life in the NICU? Oh preacher, meet the choir. How terribly insensitive.
And maybe I'm a stickler for facts, but given I've actually seen a young fetus w/my own eyes (not on an ultrasound screen), I can pretty much guarantee that a 10 week one does not have feet that large. At about an inch long total, if feet were actually half an inch long (as above), you'd need to be mating w/Bigfoot. Not that it really matters, though it seems the whole point of the propaganda laced illustration.
Oh tell me wise one how the size of one's feet determines their value... What does a size 10 make me? Wishing I had a big sister with a little more sense...
As a current pro-choicer who grew up in a fanatically pro-life family and whose parents and brother still participate in pro-life rallies (think travelling to DC for the big one on Roe v. Wade anniversary), I can sympathize.
ReplyDeleteFrom my pro-life upbringing, one thing I've noticed is that pro-lifers tend to do the math from the time of conception. So what they would call a 10-week-old baby, the rest of the world calls a 12-week-old baby (counting from end of last menses). This really makes a huge difference in terms of description of the fetus during the first tri, which after all is when most abortions take place. It's very misleading and it annoys me.
Thanks Jen. I've never heard of that, thanks for enlightening me. She carried all four of hers to 41 wks (official way of counting), so she doesn't count that way, but the label makers just may.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I was brought up Catholic but have always felt that I need to make sure that while I am Catholic, that I look at the overall picture before making a decision/feeling on things. That being said, my husband and I have been married for 12 years (together 18) and we have a 3 year old son. We tried for more than 3 years to have him (with not one other single pregnancy and lots and lots of fertility treatments and multiple IVFs - my eggs are really crappy). We vowed after being blessed with him that we would just be thankful for what we have and leave any additional children in God's hands. Fast forward through 3 miscarriages. All tested and 2 of the 3 had chromosomal issues...Trisomys. Then, in early 2014, I got pregnant again -- number 5. At 14weeks we found out the baby had another Trisomy --one he could be born with but not without lots of medical issues and severe mental retardation. We did a final confirmation amnio and 1 1/2 weeks later, at 16 weeks, we made the decision to terminate. I could not fathom putting my child in that predicament and forcing them to live that kind of life. Not to mention, what would that mean for our 3 year old? We wanted this baby more than anything and it was horrific situation. I think when people think about abortion or PUSH their pro-life agenda on others they forget that many of these babies are wanted -- and that WE the parents made the decision that we feel was best for him. I refused to be selfish and force him to a terrible, harsh, painful life, just because we wanted a baby. it was...is IS hard. everyday we have to live with our decision. But our belief that we did the right thing for him is what keeps us going. ( I could go on and on about the fact that in Ohio we could not go to a hospital and give birth -- pro-lifers have gotten legislation passed to help prevent any pregnancy termination -- so the situation was really terrible - but I will stop). I'm sorry to hijack your post -- I just wanted to say thank you for saying what many don't say outloud. Thank you for standing up for our baby.
ReplyDeleteOh Julie, thank you for sharing your story. I am so sorry for your losses. I have never had to make that choice, but believe those best to make it are those who will live with the consequences (not the pro-lifers or the gov't). It might sound ironic, but my pregnancy experiences made me more pro-choice than ever. All the best to you and your family. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteI am constantly seeing these types of things from a select few on my fb feed - one being from my MOH. It drives me nuts as I held her hand through her own abortion a few years ago. I don't really have much else to add to the conversation other than a BIG old head nod and an "I get ya totally."
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