a life lost

it's taken a week, but i am ready to talk about it.

ashley, a young woman who looked like she walked out of an abercrombie & fitch advertisement, came into withchild in late january for a pregnancy test. she was scared about the results having had a previous abortion and a subsequent tubal pregnancy. the results? positive. again. ashley took it hard, but having regretted her past abortion she seemed to be onboard for carrying the child to term. a week later she came into our offices for an ultrasound and together we watched her 10 week old baby tumble, kick and wave. i watched her face light up as she looked at the screen in amazement. i was thrilled to get one of the ultrasound pictures, and hung it on my fridge, like any expectant parent would do. no...i wasn't the parent, but i was so excited about this life that would come to fruition!

i found out last week that ashley aborted her baby. my heart is aching, still, for this life that is no more. an innocent party to destruction. my heart, through the anger, hurts for ashley as well. she made a life altering decision that she will live with for a lifetime. the first abortion may have been done in ignorance, but this abortion was with full knowledge for i watched her as she marveled at the life moving within her. ashley saw her baby's beating heart, spine, hands and feet. i still haven't been able to comprehend how she could see what she saw and make the decision she made. again.

does life begin at conception? yes. it is my hope that one day in heaven i will have the opportunity to meet this baby that i cherished from the beginning.