In just a few hours I will be taking another step in my journey. Saturday morning I will gather with a few friends, and head into downtown Portland to raise money for Pregnancy Resource Centers. As I've prepared for this event, I've found a few moments that have choked me up, talking with people and thinking about the young women that this organization will help.
I had a friend who has been following my journey say that she felt I would touch lives on Saturday. I wonder how much it will be my life touched compared to me touching other lives. I've decided to take copies of my first blog post with me (like I did that day on the corner), with the web address to the blog if they want to know more. I want to be prepared for anything that day, so I will have a wad of tissues in my bag as well. This will be the first time I include a few friends in my journey, and that seems to bring about some emotion all its own. It's much easier to go out alone among strangers then it is to face people who know you. The idea of it even now brings out that raw emotion that has plagued me throughout this entire journey.
I'm taking my camera again too, to document this day. I will share it with you when I return.
I want say Thank You to all my readers and everyone who continues to share my story with others, for the heart felt comments have truely touched me. This is the greatest gift of all, to know that maybe others are finding some peace, some common ground, in my story.
I ask for your prayers as I take these steps and if you find it in your heart to help me raise funds for this organization please check out the link listed below. Every $5 donation makes a difference, it doesn’t have to be a monumental amount to help, it all adds up.
Coral's Fundraising Page
Friday, May 13, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mothers Day
Today I remember my Mother, my Grandmothers who have passed on, and I remember the child I do not know. Praying that someday I will know that child, and have it know that it was loved.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Taking Steps
It's Sunday morning, and I'm up extra early this morning dealing with a nasty sinus infection that is trying to get the better of me. As I sit here bundled up in a blanket I've puttered around on Facebook (which not many of my friends are up at 3:30am), gone over some emails, to do lists and checked my stats here on my blog. All is quiet in the house except for my coughing and nose blowing....so it's not so quiet, but this time of day always allows me time for retrospect; time to be in my own thoughts without the television running or someone asking what's for dinner, or where something is at. This is a much cherished time for me. So as strange as it seems, I don't mind being awake long before the sun comes up, or my family.
A while ago I was told about a fund raising walk that supported Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) here in the Portland area, and at that time part of me said this is something I need to do. But as life goes on, I got busy with other stuff. As the event has been drawing closer, we have had flyers up at church, bulletin inserts and I've even prepared the Powerpoint slide for it, which is shown as part of our announcement time. But the last few days I've felt that tug again that this is something I need to fully support. So I've taken the next step, I've signed up, and I will be preparing to make the two mile walk in less than a couple of weeks.
PRC provide an amazing service for woman who are unsure as to how to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. They offer free pregnancy tests and RN performed ultra sounds, maternity and baby clothes, adoption resources, counseling and many other community resources for woman who are struggling with their choices. They are a non-profit organization that is truly a blessing to each community they are located in, and each life they touch.
As I spent time on the corner with the people around the abortion clinic, they shared with me stories of taking women from that clinic (Planned Parenthood - which I question where the parenthood part comes in) over to the PRC clinic that is only a few blocks away, and through that process saw healthy babies born months later, and lives changed because of it.
Sometimes all we need in life is a bit of support that everything will be okay. That doesn't say that bringing a child into the world will be an easy task; no where near in many cases, as easy as it is to get pregnant in the first place. Even in planned pregnancies, difficult times come, sometimes babies are unhealthy and require extra care, we face financial challenges, hits to our pride admitting our actions that brought to that point, but to love a child is a privilege, and regardless of the circumstances behind the pregnancy, a pregnant woman gets the chance to bring a child into the world and have to opportunity to show love. Sometimes she will be the one to provide that love and care for the child and sometimes the biggest act of love will be putting that child up for adoption for someone else to take over, she just has to be given the chance to make that choice.
Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting a little downs syndrome boy and his grandma at an Easter Egg Hunt. He had to have been around two years old and so full if love and life that he was just a joy to be with. After a few minutes of taking his picture and talking with his grandmother, he held out his arms to me for me to hold him. He smiled and laughed, and offered the candies he had picked up to me. He accepted me, a total stranger, with love and open arms. Its moment like that that reminds me how precious life is.
So for me, having a resource like PRC in our community is very important and vital service. We will never change every woman's mind to not go through with an abortion, but we have to at least an opportunity to offer them all the choices. To me, that is pro-choice, to have all the options available to you, to not be rushed and to be supported. Even if you have had an abortion, you need support; PRC trained the teacher of the post-abortion class I took. So where ever you are in your life journey, we need places like PRC to help us along the way.
If any of these babbling strikes a cord with you and you have a few dollars to spare, I ask that you sponsor me as I walk on the 14th (use my link below). If nothing else, pray that the dollars raised will be enough to keep the clinics open, and that they continue to be in our communities, and continue to provide vital services to those in need.
As I spent time on the corner with the people around the abortion clinic, they shared with me stories of taking women from that clinic (Planned Parenthood - which I question where the parenthood part comes in) over to the PRC clinic that is only a few blocks away, and through that process saw healthy babies born months later, and lives changed because of it.
Sometimes all we need in life is a bit of support that everything will be okay. That doesn't say that bringing a child into the world will be an easy task; no where near in many cases, as easy as it is to get pregnant in the first place. Even in planned pregnancies, difficult times come, sometimes babies are unhealthy and require extra care, we face financial challenges, hits to our pride admitting our actions that brought to that point, but to love a child is a privilege, and regardless of the circumstances behind the pregnancy, a pregnant woman gets the chance to bring a child into the world and have to opportunity to show love. Sometimes she will be the one to provide that love and care for the child and sometimes the biggest act of love will be putting that child up for adoption for someone else to take over, she just has to be given the chance to make that choice.
Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting a little downs syndrome boy and his grandma at an Easter Egg Hunt. He had to have been around two years old and so full if love and life that he was just a joy to be with. After a few minutes of taking his picture and talking with his grandmother, he held out his arms to me for me to hold him. He smiled and laughed, and offered the candies he had picked up to me. He accepted me, a total stranger, with love and open arms. Its moment like that that reminds me how precious life is.
So for me, having a resource like PRC in our community is very important and vital service. We will never change every woman's mind to not go through with an abortion, but we have to at least an opportunity to offer them all the choices. To me, that is pro-choice, to have all the options available to you, to not be rushed and to be supported. Even if you have had an abortion, you need support; PRC trained the teacher of the post-abortion class I took. So where ever you are in your life journey, we need places like PRC to help us along the way.
If any of these babbling strikes a cord with you and you have a few dollars to spare, I ask that you sponsor me as I walk on the 14th (use my link below). If nothing else, pray that the dollars raised will be enough to keep the clinics open, and that they continue to be in our communities, and continue to provide vital services to those in need.
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