by Barry Girolamo

Created on: April 01, 2010

I used to believe I knew the answer to this question, but sometimes, as we evolve with age, life experience makes us wiser. I'll relate a very personal experience which has changed how I feel about abortion, and which hopefully may sway the views of some.

The other day, while I was in my office, my daughter stopped by with her two young children to visit "Granpa", as her twenty two month old daughter referred to me. My day was now complete, I thought to myself. Her name is Kiara. Kiara ran up to me as she always does, and gave me a hug, smiling ear to ear, her eyes lit with happiness. "Granpa," she yells with pure joy in her voice. I scoop her up and simply enjoy the moment, for there is nothing in the world to equal the feeling of love she brings to me, the connection which we have with one another.

Later that day, I flashed back to a time more than two years earlier, as I sat in a doctor's office with my daughter. She wanted me there for support, for she had a very difficult decision to make. The doctor looked at me and wanted to know how I felt before he gave his opinion. He didn't say that, but that's what he wanted. I stated rather matter of factly that I knew how I felt about the situation, but I'd rather not say how I felt, as it was to be my daughter's decision. The doctor knew what I meant, and then felt comfortable as he turned his attention to my daughter and said to her that it really was a very simple procedure, that there would only be slight discomfort afterwards, and that she would be "asleep" during the procedure. My daughter nodded, and an appointment was made at the hospital for the following week.

The following week, I drove my daughter to the hospital for her appointment and we went inside. I tried to be supportive and reassuring. Boy, what a good father I am, I thought to myself. As she was being prepped and the nurses were talking to her, I could see the look of terror coming over her. Her bottom lip started to tremble, and she started to cry. The nurses tried to reassure her, then the doctor came in and also tried to reassure her that it would be over before she knew it, that she was making the right decision, and that everything would be fine. They tried to convince her for about a half hour. I held her hand and told her that I would support her decision no matter what it was. We left the hospital without the procedure being performed. She couldn't bring herself to go through with it. That day, my daughter was much smarter than I, for

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>