The March for Life

Though we are in the midst of Advent, please take a moment and think even beyond New Year’s. It’s time to plan your trip to DC for the March for Life. Some group deadlines may have already past, but I bet you could still weasel your way in if you asked nicely, or begged. Or just plan your own trip! If you’ve been to the March for Life than you are probably either attending again this year or wish you were. If you’ve never been, you should go. Unfortunately, even though I grew up in a pro-life family, I never attended the March for Life until I was 19. Still, it was one of the most powerful pro-life experiences. When I was a young teen, it seemed like most of my friends, peers, and even teachers were pro-choice. Whenever the subject of abortion would come up, either in class or outside of school, it always turned into a heated argument with me solely trying to defend the pro-life position. It got to the point where I didn’t want to discuss abortion anymore. I was tired of arguing. So I just quit talking about it. Years later, when what was supposed to be the second semester of my sophomore year of college turned into a much needed break from school, I got invited to attend the March for Life. Although I was working three jobs, I was able to arrange my schedule into order to go. I’m not sure why, but I really wanted to go. I talked my mom into letting my younger sister ditch school and come along with me. She in turn begged her friend to go and so the two of them joined me along with an eclectic group of very interesting and sometimes quite entertaining group of people. We had a marvelous time! We drove though the night in the snow. I slept on the cold floor of the bus. When we arrived in DC, we attended the Holocaust Museum, which was extremely moving, and slept in the basement of the Basilica. But the highlight was the March itself. I was completely taken aback and absolutely energized by the number of high school and college students in attendance. All of my life, I had been to pro-life banquets, pickets, and protests. The usual stalwarts were grey haired folks. God bless them, but my siblings and I seem to be the only young pro-lifers. I was thrilled to realize that I was not the only young pro-lifer out there. When I got back from the March I was emboldened. I quit my jobs and took a full-time pro-life position. I read everything I could about abortion. I studied how abortions were preformed. I listened to the women who had had abortions. I listened to the former doctors, nurses, administrators, and escorts who used to work in the abortion industry tell their stories. And I started sidewalk counseling. I learned so much. And it all started with a simple trip to DC in the dead of winter. I had no idea what I was in for. But I will always look at that trip as a pivotal point in my life. I encourage you to experience the March for Life. Go with a group or figure out a way to get there on your own, but go. You won’t regret it.