Any woman considering an abortion should read the quotes of these women who have been there and done it.  They are heart-rending, tragic testimonies to the unexpected and often unconsidered long-term consequences of abortion.  My heart goes out to these women and their families – so many of them were just never told the truth.

Abby Johnson, Founder of And Then There Were None:

One day in the car, my daughter (out of nowhere) asked if some day she would be able to see her siblings in Heaven. I asked her what she meant…honestly, hoping that she was not talking about my own two abortions. She said that she knew I had two abortions and she wanted to know if she would ever get to meet those babies because she said, “in my heart, I miss them.” I never knew I would pass that sort of heartbreak on to my children.

When I had my abortions, I never thought about how it would affect others. I didn’t think about my future children. I never thought about how I would have to explain my selfishness to them.

My abortions live in me, and unfortunately, they live in them. ”

Ashley Granger, Wife, mother, sonography student:

Now that my son is 4 years old, I sometimes look at his sweet face and wonder what features my other child would have had. I still have dreams about holding him or her and it makes me so deeply sad to think that I have robbed my son of a sibling. Why not just try and conceive a sibling for him today you may ask? Well, I would love to but my husband and I have been struggling with infertility for two and half years. I never once dreamed that I wouldn’t be able to conceive when I wanted to! Every night my sweet boy prays to God for a sibling and every time I hear those precious prayers my heart aches over what I did. Because in retrospect an abortion isn’t an easy fix or a solution to a problem….it is the problem, and it leaves a lasting effect on generations to come.

I just read another great article over at Brain, Child. The writer, Suzanne Palmieri, was a single mother, living in poverty with her daughter. In her article, she looks back over the last 20 years that they spent together, commenting on how their lives had changed.

Our life’s circumstances are seldom static and often changing. We don’t know what is just around the corner; beautiful things may be just beyond the bend. Or they may already be before us if we look closely. She did.

During the darker days, I read poems by Mary Oliver. One shining quote made the difference: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

My answer, then, now and always is this: I will not drown.