I needed an abortion shortly after getting married when I was young. It was the wrong relationship for me. I got into it during a time when my self esteem was so low I didn’t believe I deserved better. Had I created a family, I would have stayed with that person forever. I wouldn’t have gone to college. I wouldn’t have invested 17 years in community mental health and wellness advocacy. I wouldn’t have provided public service for more than a decade to underserved Idahoans. I would not be the woman, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and citizen I am today had my rights been stripped of me years ago. I was fortunate in receiving compassionate healthcare. I am so grateful for that now!

Yet the shame and stigma of abortion healthcare is so strong and pervasive that I have never shared this story with anyone. I have held the shame and failed version of myself deep inside my womb, so deep that to this day I choose to share anonymously. But I am sharing because I BELIEVE IN THIS. This matters. I am a mother. I have a daughter. I heal my own need for mothering as I have mothered. The child I chose not to have would never have had the mother I am today. Choosing to mother is a lifelong commitment. It never ends. We MUST have the right to make choice.