Why I Marched

Just a few days ago I went on my second March for Life, after going to two West Coast Walk for Life’s before that. Being part of the March is by far one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever been a part of. And this is my thoughts on why . . .

Back in 2011 I went to my first Walk for Life, which was the first major pro-life event I remember attending. It moved me. It’s funny when I look back in old journal entries and laugh (cringe too) because I was fairly obsessed with musicals and wanting to be a broadway star for the better part of my tween years. I didn’t yet have the direction I now have in my life, which I think I was wanting to fill with musical theater. Don’t get me wrong, I still love music. But I’ve found something better and more beautiful to be part of, and that is defending, protecting, and promoting life.

If someone were to ask me why for pete’s sake I went to freeze to death in D.C., here’s some of what I’d share with them:

I marched this year because I stand in solidarity with all who have been harmed by abortion.

I marched this this year because I believe no one wants to grow up to work in the abortion industry, and those who do work in it need to be given better places to work.

I marched this year because our world so desperately needs people to stand up for what is right, even if it means 55 hours on a bus and freezing in D.C.

I marched this year to be a witness to people in my life how much I love and care about life.

I marched this year because I believe that without action, our beliefs are a moot point.

I marched this year for the 1/3 of my generation who will never see the light of day.

I marched this year for all the mothers who have resorted to abortion sometimes through coercion or lack of resources to choose life.

I marched this year for all the fathers who may or may not have stood up for the lives of their children.

I marched this year for the two babies I named who were victims of abortion.

Ultimately, I marched this year because I believe life is our most precious gift. I believe every single life, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status is unique and unrepeatable. No matter who you are, you are a gift from God, and no one has the right to snuff out your life.

I believe women and our country deserve better than abortion.

The pro-life movement is a movement of love, and the March never fails to remind me of that. To stand there with hundreds of thousands of people who believe in the joy life brings . . . guys. It’s really amazing. It still makes me tear up. I mean, it’s hard to describe how incredible it feels to be part of something that is so much bigger than myself. It’s kind of like holding a baby. In that moment all is right with the world (unless they’re crying or throwing up or something of course). You just look at those precious little eyes, the fingers that curl around yours, and the itty bitty toes that will someday run up and down the hallways. That right there is hope. You don’t know who this person will become, what they will do, or what lives they may touch.

In each person I see the potential for greatness. And I think it’s a shame that in our country we reduce the preciousness of each life to an issue of “rights” – a woman’s right to choose, etc. We’re so much more than that! We are unique, unrepeatable, and made to love and be loved. Abortion does not fit with that notion. And neither does euthanasia, contraception, or the death penalty.

Me? I’m just one person. Sure, I marched for life. But showing the world how beautiful life is takes a lot more than that.

Our everyday lives have to mirror our beliefs. When our joy and love of life overflows to the people we meet, they eventually are going to have to wonder what we’ve got that they don’t. And that, folks is a whole lot of love and hope. That is what I experienced at the March, and it’s why I marched. I marched because I stand for life, love, and the dignity of each and every person.