By Rebecca
Kiessling
 |
| Rebecca Kiessling |
Today is my birthday. I'm not at all ashamed to tell my age because
it's very relevant. I was born July 22, 1969 -- exactly 10 months before the
hearing date in Texas in Roe v Wade, and exactly 3-1/2 years to the U.S.
Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion throughout the U.S..
I was conceived when my birthmother was abducted at knifepoint by a
serial rapist. She went to two illegal "back-alley" abortions,
and I was almost aborted. That was my life-changing, near-death
experience. When we met when I was 19, even though she was very happy to meet
me, my birthmom was pro-choice, and told me she absolutely would have
aborted me if it had been legal, and that it should have been her right. Six
years later, she completely changed her mind on the issue, and now, we are both thankful
that we were both spared the horror of abortion.
Many people will say to me, "I'm so glad your mother chose
life." But she didn't. She chose abortion. Pro-life legislators, activists
and voters chose life for me, and they are my heroes! I owe my birth to the law
being there to protect me. I was lucky -- I was protected. Legality matters.
In the mid-1960's, there were efforts to legalize abortion in cases of
rape all over the country. Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe from Roe v Wade) even
lied, claiming she was gang-raped, in order to try to obtain an abortion
in Texas. But I'm from Michigan, where there has never been a rape exception in
any laws. This is why I have a birthday to celebrate!
I'm so blessed to have people say many profound things to me as a travel
around the world sharing my story. I get to hear things which many people don't
get to hear in everyday life -- things like, "I'm so glad you were
born!" I'm so very grateful for those words, but I believe that everyone
deserves to hear them like I do. So I make a point of it: whenever someone
shares their personal story with me, or whenever I see it's someone's
birthday on Facebook, or when someone tells me it's their birthday, I make a
point of telling them, "Happy birthday -- I'm so glad you were born!"
I'm amazed at how moved they are -- many responding with "Wow, thanks so
much! No one has EVER said that to me before."
We need to be saying these words to one another. There are many who are
hurting from our abortion culture who have bought the lie that their lives
don't really matter. So please, take the time to tell others that you are so
glad they were born.
Two years ago, on my birthday, my birthmother called to wish me Happy
Birthday and to tell me that my biological grandmother had died earlier in the
day. I was born on her wedding anniversary, and she died on my birthday. We had
both been to visit her a few weeks before. I got her to smile and to laugh by
singing to her, "You Are My Sunshine." Please understand that God
gave me the gift of voice for speaking only! So you can understand why
anyone would laugh.
My birthmother and I had a long heart-to-heart. I told her that I had just
arrived the night before to visit my in-laws in Massachusetts, but that I would
fly home to be with her. At the end of our conversation, we were about to hang
up when she stopped me: "Rebecca, Rebecca!" Then her voice
broke, "I just want to say, I'm so glad I had you!" That was the best
birthday gift ever!
This morning, I wrote this poem to share on Facebook, and I'd like to
share it here as well:
Today I was born!
I could have been torn
from my mom's womb,
her body my tomb.
But I have a birth
because others saw my worth.
See, I was protected
instead of dissected.
Today, I can celebrate
instead of having hate
for her rapist and
the abortion man.
So when you say,
"Happy birthday,"
please be aware
of why I am here,
and that others are yet neglected
when they should be protected.
Source: LifeSiteNews
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