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I've come to realize through this blog that I have a bigger voice than I realized. I may not be beatin' down the steps of Washington or throwin' Bibles in the faces of others. All things I think are a hot mess mind ya. Well, only sorta on the marchin' on Washington. But I do have a chance to spread love, as small a platform as it may be. Often time we stay quite cause we feel it isn't our story to tell. Well, one thing I've learned over the last few years is, it may not be our story to tell, but if we don't tell it then who will?!?! If we don't speak up for the lesser of those, then who will? I chose to speak life. HA! As cliché, corny and cheesy as that sounds.
Last year I wrote a post entitled
Not Monday's Hot Mess Post {Week 3}: The Pro-Life Addition In that post I talked about attendin' the Dallas March for Life for the first time and hinted that my Momma chose life and then left it at that. Now, that I've got few post under my belt, a second Dallas March for Life attended a few weeks back and feel like I'm ownin' things, I think I'll expand a little. Ya know, tell a story that's only partly mine to tell. See what I did there. But in all seriousness.
Goin' on 27 years ago, my mother was scared and pregnant. I was not a planned pregnancy by any means. Heck, my parents weren't even married at the time I was conceived. But that is neither here nor there. I was to be my mothers third child. Yes, I know you're askin' how can this be since I only have a little sister. Before me. Before my Daddy. Before her life in Texas. Before Jesus. Before his grace. Before his mercy. Before his love my Momma had two other children. Neither here with us today. Momma was young, scared, family-less, homeless (not in the traditional sense) and alone in a hospital room twice in the early 80's. There's a lot of shame, guilt and scars that come with havin' failed pregnancies. But, this, this is the part of the story that is not mine to tell so I'll just leave it at that.
But this, this part is mine to tell. And tell it I shall. Back to 1987: My mother spent weeks goin' through doctors that would take her as a patient. All said the same thing. There was to much scarin'. She couldn't carry me to full term. If she did I would have problems. Down syndrome. Yes, Down syndrome. That word was thrown around more than once on many occasion. Abortion. Abortion was another word throwin' around. How would it not be when the average abortion rate for children with Down Syndrome is as high as 87-98 percent. Many tears, prayers, and doctors later. Momma did find a doctor. A doctor that knew after one visit, without my mother sayin a word, that their had been many failed pregnancies before. A doctor that looked passed all of that and saw life in the most precious and beautiful form. A doctor that realized without the right to life we truly have nothin' else. A doctor that allowed my Momma to say yes to life.
Much bed rest and Many Taco Bell Enchiritos later, at 7&1/2 months, family, friends, doctors and nurses alike filled my tiny hospital room in Carrollton, Texas for nearly 13 hours waitin' on my arrival. Care flight sat willin' and ready on the hospital launch pad waitin' to fly me to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The leadin' hospital for preemies in the state. A hospital that was better equipped at handlin' babies born with "Syndromes and low quality of life." The doubters on pins and needles as I made my entrance into the world. I, Aleshea Dominique was born on September 29th 1987, at 8:56 in the evening weighin' in at only 4 lbs and 13 ounces. My eyes shone bright as I looked around at all the commotion in my hospital room. Family, friends, doctors and nurses alike, not knowing whether to breath a sign of relief or continue to be astounded. Years later I called my Momma on the phone from college and asked her if she had it to do all over again would she. Her response simple but profound: when you came into the world and those big eyes looked up at me... she trails off. Yes, yes I'd do it all again. I know God loves all his children equally but to this day I joke about how I'm God's favorite.
And that's why I march. Why I refuse to remain silent. Why I smile when others question. That's why I'm pro-life. Because life was first given to me. And this, this is my story to tell.
"A person's a person no matter how small"
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