In a January 13, 1984 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion in the United States. Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency." (Source, Wikipedia) "Since 1983, Americans have observed Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHLS) as a day to celebrate the intrinsic value of all human life." (Source: CareNet)
I always love to honor this day with others that value the importance of human life and believe it begins at conception. The "ironic" thing about it now, is that it's always on the 3rd Sunday in January, and for the past 4 years, that has been near the anniversary of the day we lost our unborn baby due to a miscarriage.
January 23, 2007 will forever be etched in my mind. I was almost out of my first trimester, almost in "the clear." Or so you think. I began cramping that morning on my way to work and by the time I got to work, I realized I was actually having full blown contractions, and couldn't talk through them. To avoid all the gorey details, it was the most traumatic thing I have seen in person. My friend that I worked with, who has become a lifelong friend and like a mother to me because of all we have endured together, rushed me to the hospital. My OB wanted to finish seeing a few patients before she did a D&C, but the anesthesiologist insisted that we not wait any longer because I was losing too much blood. All I could think the whole time was that the baby was alive just the day before, and everything appreared to be fine. There had been an almost 11 week old baby in my womb, and now he/she was gone to heaven. Some people that don't honor Sanctity of Human Life Day would argue otherwise. They say even though there had been a heartbeat, that it was just a fetus, but not a human life. I beg to differ. That baby was not fully grown, but was a person. I know I will see that precious baby one day when I get to heaven, and fully believe that I will recognize him/her.
So this will be the 5th year (on Monday) that I will remember this precious baby, and honor his/her LIFE. It obviously hurts that I didn't have that baby here to hold, and haven't been able to watch them grow on this earth for the past few years, but I know it was for a reason. God has worked in our lives SO much since then, and although it's not always been perfect, it's been worth it. I've said that before and some people probably think I'm crazy, but really, at the end of the day, it's true. I wouldn't choose pain and suffering, but I would choose the lessons He's taught me since then.
So I will hug Savannah tight and kiss Scarlet tomorrow, and be thankful for my babies that I do have, and one day will share more in detail with them about their brother or sister they had, and will see one day in Heaven. I hope and pray that they, too, will value the importance of human life, from conception, and always honor this day in their hearts as well.
Savannah
Baby in Heaven
Victoria (Tori)
Scarlet
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