Today is Joseph's 6th birthday! It is such a happy day at our house. The two-hour weather-related delay this morning meant we had extra time to celebrate before school. His siblings are almost as excited as he is! Daddy drove him to school as he couldn't carry the 25 Despicable Me cupcakes on the bus (or, he could have, but I don't think they'd be edible this afternoon!).
It's also the sad 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in the United States. I was born in 1975, and I used to wonder (when I was old enough to understand) how many of my classmates were missing in my school due to this decision. I'm not judging anyone who had an abortion (there were actually times in my life when I did not consider myself pro-life...but, this is mainly because I never really thought it through and I didn't truly grasp the miracle of life or the dignity of the human person). I'm simply praying for all unborn children, for their parents, and for an end to abortion.
When I lived in Washington D.C., I was fortunate to attend the yearly March for Life on January 22 every year. It was amazing to see people...especially young people...from all over the country coming together for this cause. I taught at a Catholic high school and students from other states would actually sleep on the floor of our gym! The signs that touched me the most were always the ones being held by women that read, "I regret my abortion."
Since I'm not able to attend the March for Life anymore (it's only a 2-hour ride, but it's not really practical to subject my young ones to this ridiculous wind chill!), I say extra prayers. I love that Joseph's birthday is today (he was born at 11 p.m. and he wasn't due until the 25th). My own personal response to Roe v. Wade was to have a baby on this day (well, with a little help from God and the doctors at the hospital...ha!).
I have been posting on Facebook a bit more the past 6 months or so. I've found that it's a great way to keep in touch with family members. I also have many local friends, and it's a fun way to celebrate life's ups and downs with them. As I was preparing to post some pictures for Joseph's birthday today (a baby picture and a current picture), I decided to also mention that it's the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and that we are praying for an end to abortion as we celebrate life today at our house.
I almost did not do it. I was actually sitting there worrying about whether people would "like" it or not. I usually avoid politics at all costs and figure that my life is an example (people often assume I'm a pro-life Catholic when they see my family...ha!). I decided to wait until after lunch to decide. So, I fed the kids and got three of them down for naps. As I was helping Cecilia with an art project, I suddenly thought, "Lots of people didn't like Jesus either!" And, in my case, I really don't think people will shun me or dislike me, but instead, they just won't hit "like" on Facebook as to not condone my views. That's fine :). Maybe (or maybe not...it's up to the Holy Spirit) someone will be touched by it...or at least it'll enter their mind.
Here's Joseph's baby picture below. I never realized how much I wanted a son until he was born!! Thank you God for the gift of my Joseph :). Praying for all unborn babies, their mothers, and for an end to abortion.
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