Speaking Up....

 Take my hand not my life .... the board proclaimed..... Say no to abortion , yes there he went again, my 13 year old son, reading the billboard aloud. For the past one year, he had been reading the same billboard loud, and another one with a similar message and giving me the "look" as if questioning me, or daring me to contradict the statement that abortion took lives. In fact he did ask me if I had ever considered abortion. I generally preferred to keep quiet and ignore his brashness,  but this time I decided enough was enough.

I glanced back and said in a firm voice hoping he understands that it was time we settled the issue. " It is a woman's body, and she decides whether she keeps the  fetus or not, nobody has the right to judge her or to interfere in her decision. It is a choice every woman has or should have and it is none of his or any other man's business.  Of course it threw him off track and the next question was what is , the difference between fetus and baby..... and so on and so forth.

I am pro-choice and want my boys to grow up respecting a woman's decision as to what she should do with her body and her life. I am not sure why, but I was very proud of myself , of speaking out what was in my heart , of introducing my son to a viewpoint which is not openly and publicly discussed and which generally warrants disapproval. A woman who decides to not go through a pregnancy has her own reasons, which are hers and hers alone and nobody has the right to judge her.

It is about time that people spoke up , women spoke up for their rights. I admire the medial professionals who risk their lives in providing services that save women's lives. As a mother to growing boys, as a woman who has the power to certain extent to change how the boys will perceive the women in their lives, it is my responsibility to raise and open their minds beyond stereotypical images. I was and will be their first impression of what defines a woman and believe me they are well aware that women are strong and their equal - not the same but equal.