First Fruits Friday - Pregnant? You are not alone.
If you’ve been by Seneca, you’ve undoubtedly seen the beautiful words painted across the front of our building “Pregnant? You are not alone.”
On the side of the building facing the abortion facility, these words are also written:
“You are not alone. You are loved. Everyone needs help. Getting help is okay. Hard times will come, but are never permanent. It’s okay to feel scared, fearful, and angry. You have power. You have choices. You have the power to Choose Life. You have a beautiful future of hope ahead. This is not the end.”
We make it a point to live out these words every day at Seneca. Sometimes, all it takes is someone else’s pregnancy to make you feel supported. Here, our Assistant Director reflects on being pregnant while working at a pregnancy resource center:
When I first began working at Seneca almost 2 years ago, being pregnant myself was far from my mind. Like many women my age, I had spent years afraid of my own fertility and convinced that I was not cut out to be a mom. Until coming to Seneca, I hadn’t spent much time around expectant or new mothers. All I knew is that I could see my own fears and doubts reflected in the women seeking abortions week after week.
In my first few months at Seneca, I quickly realized that every mom experiences the same kinds of emotions when she is pregnant. I remember hosting a baby shower for several of our pregnant volunteers. They shared their fears and anxieties about their upcoming births. It was almost exactly what many of our clients were sharing in their support group.
Just like the words on the side of Seneca say “everyone needs help”.
I couldn’t help recalling all of this when I took my first 3, yes 3, pregnancy tests. I laughed the next day when a client shared with me that she had taken 6 home pregnancy tests before scheduling her ultrasound at Seneca. Now, I really understood… there was NOTHING different about my pregnancy or the client seeking support from Seneca. Of course each of us had our own specific circumstances, but at the end of the day, we each needed love, encouragement, and to know that we were not alone.
As my pregnancy progressed, I began sharing my own experience with clients when I felt the time was right. More than once, simply saying “I’m actually pregnant too” was the turning point in a conversation with a mother seeking abortion. Almost instantly their faces would light up as they told me congratulations.
One client who chose life specifically told me that hearing that I was pregnant too made her feel like she could do it!
As I draw nearer to my due date, I am overwhelmed by the love and support I have received by everyone at Seneca. Being in the presence of experienced parents who share openly and honestly about their own experiences is one of the best gifts I could have received during my pregnancy.
Just last week, a client I have had the pleasure of knowing for almost 2 years brought me 3 adorable onesies. She said that she was going to donate them, but had held on to them because they were special from when her son was born. She wanted to share them with someone she knew and loved.
I didn’t realize just how much “creating a culture of hope where the beauty of life is celebrated” would impact my life. It wasn’t until I was here myself that I truly understood how much the excitement around a new life and a simple “congratulations” can wipe away the doubts that come with a new pregnancy. And the best part is, I know this support will still be here as I continue my journey of motherhood.
THAT is what God is doing at Seneca! He is creating a community and changing a culture. He is bringing mothers and fathers from different backgrounds together to celebrate the beauty of life and support one another for the long haul. He is reminding us ALL that we are not alone. He is teaching us the joy of each new life.
I know for me, I am forever changed. The miracle of life is too beautiful not to celebrate. From now on, whenever someone shares with me about a new pregnancy, without hesitation and no matter the circumstances, I will tell them “Congratulations! You are not alone. You have a beautiful future of hope ahead!”