[FAMILY BUILDING MONTH: ON ABORTION]

Balikan natin ang kwento ni Inday…

Papaano kung nalaman ni Inday na buntis sya sa kanyang ika-pitong anak. Tricycle driver ang trabaho ng kanyang asawa na swerte nang kumita ng P200 sa isang araw. Ang bunsong anak nya, wala pang isang taong gulang. Payat at panay may sakit ang kanyang mga anak dahil kulang ang kanilang pera para mabuhay ng matiwasay sa araw-araw…

Pumasok sa isip ni Inday, “Uminom kaya ako ng pampalaglag? Di na namin kaya ng isa pang anak?” “Kawawa naman ang batang ito kung bubuhayin ko pa dahil baka mamatay din lang ito dahil wala akong mapapakain.” “Di pa naman buhay ito, dugo pa lang ito, sana gumana ang pampalaglag.” “O kaya, uminom na lang kaya ako ng gin hanggang duguin ako?” “Ayoko na nitong batang ito, lalo lang nyang pahihirapan ang buhay ko!!!!”
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Sa kabilang banda, sa kwento ni Beverly…. 7 taon na silang kasal ng kanyang asawa. Hindi pa sila nabibiyayaan ng anak. Isang araw, pagkatapos mag home pregnancy test, tuwang-tuwang sinabi ni Bev sa asawang si David na sya ay nagdadalangtao.

Nang Sabadong iyon, pumunta sila sa doktor. Matapos ng napakaraming mga test, sinabi ng doktor na kung itutuloy ni Bev ang kanyang pagbubuntis, maaaring maging mapanganib sa kanyang kalusugan at sa kanyang buhay. Ganun kaaga, pinapapili na ng doktor si David kung ano ang mas gusto niya, ang magkaroon ng anak o magkaroon ng asawa. Hindi maaaring magkaroon pareho.
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Ikatlong kwento… si Mylene ay 40 anyos na. Tuwang-tuwang nalaman na sya ay buntis. Ngunit pagkatapos ng isang test sa ospital, nalaman na may down-syndrome ang kanyang anak. Sa bansa kung nasaan si Mylene, pinapayagan ang pag-abort sa sanggol kapag nalaman na ito ay may diperensya.

Ipagpatuloy kaya ni Mylene ang pagbubuntis.
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Huling kwento. Si Kimberly, 14 na taong gulang. Nadiskubre ng kanyang Tiya Rosing na sya ay buntis at ang ama ng kanyang pinagbubuntis ay ang kanilang kapitbahay na si Tomas. Isang gabi, pagkauwi ni Tomas mula sa maghapong inuman, nakita nya si Kimberly at kanya itong hinalay. Ngayon hindi alam ng bata kung ano ang kanyang gagawin.

Papaanong mag-aalaga ng sanggol si Kim, kung sya mismo at isang bata pa rin? Walang amang mag-aaruga sa bata, at ang ina at kailangan pa rin ng pag-aaruga.
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Iba’t ibang eksena ang hinaharap ng mga taong ito. Ngunit may isang tanong na lumilingid… itutuloy ba ang pagbubuntis na ito o dapat nang ipa-abort? Sa tingin ninyo, mga misis…..

A Child of the Heart

I used to do charity work at various orphanages when I was younger. I always got the utmost fulfillment when I see their eyes glowing in gratitude at the sight of me – a stranger, willing to share a bit of her time, a piece of her heart, and two loving arms for even just a fleeting embrace. Knowing that the children are cared for at the orphanage somehow eases some of the heaviness in my heart… I knew for a fact that for every child housed by an institution or foster home, six children are physically and emotionally abandoned, deprived, devastated, or alone. And although I tried to give them as much love as my little heart could muster, it felt cruel to leave them with any promise of hope. And so, with every goodbye at the end of the day I have always wished I had the means to do more.

And so, for me, adoption is definitely an option, almost a wish, whether or not I’ll have kids of my own. I carried this decision even until I got married. Yes, I have been fortunate to have a hubby who shares this belief, and I think God made that so. We want to be instrumental in loving, in giving hope, in sharing our blessings, and in making a difference to even at least one child in the world.

Not a lot of people will share this idea, I know, but we all have our reasons and we all have our missions. Hubby and I just feel that this is ours. We are thankful to God that He gave us a daughter, Ninna, because it makes this mission even clearer: we would like to adopt not because we need to, but because we choose to.

But of course, just like having a biological child, we want to do it responsibly, making sure we are both emotionally and financially ready to take on this task. Also, we want Ninna to be ready as well. We want to make sure that she is secure, she understands, and she is willing to open her heart and the doors of our family for a new member.

Until then, I can’t wait until I sing one song to all of my children, whether they are the fruits of my womb or of my heart.

Baby mine, don’t you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
Never to part, baby of mine.Little one, when you play
Pay no heed what they say.
Let your eyes sparkle and shine,
Never a tear, baby of mine.