The Worth of a Woman

All day long yesterday, after my son called to find out whether I had heard that Roe v. Wade was overturned, I thought about what it meant. I'd had, while skipping school one day, a secret but legal abortion in 1983 as a 16-year-old who was unable to fathom any other way forward or talk with anyone besides my boyfriend about my "problem". One year to the day after that life-dividing event, I gave birth to the baby boy who we couldn't afford to abort and who would shortly be adopted by a loving, waiting mother and father. Within the next few years, I was granted the blessing of my husband of now 35 years. He had accepted me and my story, and loved me regardless; "dis-ir-regardless", as he likes to say. And the still wondrous joys of our daughter and then our son entered our lives. Over the years and decades, I have experienced forgiveness and healing from God and my loved ones. I have even been graced in recent years to enjoy meaningful and generous communication with the sweet man who grew from that adopted baby boy. I have yearned and acted to have the world recogize the value of human life. I also have witnessed--and experienced--guilt-tripping and judgment from some people who claim to, and may, belong to the family of God. On this early morning after the historic decision, I am awakened with thoughts of worth. In this moment, it seems important to consider the worth of a woman. Yes, the inherent worth of human life at all stages, especially in the womb, is seemingly the purest impetus behind what led to the ruling now bringing about understandably deep and loud reactions. And I ponder the idea that a woman's worth is seemingly often tied to and gauged by, even made greater by, childbearing. It's a faulty idea, if you subscribe to the premise that aĺl human life is of inherent and equal worth. Yet I think it's an idea well in play for many, even if subconsciously. So today, it feels utterly important to me to express the worth of women. All people, of course, but women. Women who have and haven't given birth, those who will and who won't. Women who are pregnant. Women who were pregnant. Women who can't get pregnant. Women who desire to be pregnant and those who don't. Women who have and/or ràise children, and women who don't. Single women. Married women. Older women, younger women. Girls of all ages, stages and social categories. Each One. Regardless. Women bear the beauty and the brunt of childbearing capacity--or the perception thereof. But it does not create nor determine their worth. A woman's worth is inherent and constant, regardless of her position or situation related to childbearing. It is not a far reach or too much to ask that men, women, the world, accept the responsibility to recognize that worth and act accordingly. All day yesterday, after the son I raised together with my husband called to find out whether I had heard that Roe v. Wade was overturned, I thought about what it meant: for me, for my mother seated next to me on the summery front porch as we watched cars go by; for my daughter and daughter-in-law entrenched in their life paths, for women and men affected by the ruling; for our splintered and blinded yet called and destined church, for our similarly factioned and reeling and opportunity-laden country, and for our warring yet persisting world. I find no easy answers other than to go forth and actively love the people I encounter. I find both comfort and inspiration in knowing that the Source of such love is ever available: "the Lord appeared to him from afar. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." RSV Jer. 31:3