Abortion Stories, No Regret
Today's guest had an abortion in her early twenties when she knew she wasn't ready to be a mom. It helped her see things about her relationship that led to a beautiful life, including keeping a pregnancy 6 months later.
Show Notes:
1:40 Introduction
We don’t HAVE to tell our abortion stories
4:04 “I would start at the place where I am 26 years out from my abortion experience and I have no regrets”
4:46 “twinge of shame that I have no regret” “Shouldn’t I feel bad? The answer is no.”
5:40 “I think the souls that are meant to be here, get here”
4:46 “I was 22 years old; I was living with my boyfriend who is now my husband”
7:26 “was not ready to be a mother”
8:18 “There were two difficult parts of the experiences, the first was the protestors”
8:51 “I can completely understand people who are pro-life”
9:14 “Even though I don’t agree with that position, I’ve always understood the pure place I think that idea can come from”
10:05 “…the signs, it’s not a loving expression of the value of human life”
10:55 “physically it was a very difficult procedure”
13:00 “6 months after this procedure I was pregnant again”
15:07 “I meant what I said but I don’t think I felt like I couldn’t change my mind”
15:46 “I don’t know if it’s true, but it is working for me”
16:30 “I was meant to be married to my husband and I had a lot of thoughts about being married that were a way bigger than thoughts about being a mother”
17:31 “You don’t see for yourself that this relationship is so much a part of what you are here to do, I’m just gonna help you out.”
18:29 “six months later, was I any more ready? no”
19:11 “once you have decided you approach all of those obstacle thoughts differently”
21:56 “I really think there was a part of me like this is supposed to be”
Cultivating clarity over time
25:03 “Whether it’s a decision you make with your eyes wide open… or whether your in a space of feeling conflicted…”
27:33 “I did not personally believe I was making a wrong choice, what if I was wrong about that?”
28:30 “I think it was really after the procedure that I got really definite… it is a thing that happened and I get to decide what it means, what it means about me”
29:17 “I remember there was a part of me that wanted to confess it”
Advice for navigating protestors
33:39 …“the impact of those external opinions; it is really a reflection of some part you are wrestling with yourself”
34:54 “be so gentle with yourself” “let yourself feel that tenderness and tiptoe to the place that maybe worries they are right”
Protestors outside a clinic = bullying
37:30 “I’d love to be able to say their opinion doesn’t mean anything, but…”
The way we experience the world is so reflective of our own healing
44:59 “I feel as definite now as I did then; no regrets”
