The little feet pin glinted on the woman’s lapel. The feet and toes were tiny. It was as if a fairy had landed upon her blouse, left gold footprints, and fluttered away. I pointed to the pin. “That’s so cute.”
The older woman smiled. “Those are the size of the feet of a 12-week-old fetus.”
A fist of pain hit my gut, and I looked away before she saw the agony in my face. Why hadn’t anyone told me?
I was 16 at the time, and a year prior I’d had an abortion. The lady at the clinic told me there was “just a blob of tissue” inside me.
Lies. All lies.
When I had my own children I wanted them to know the truth about the development and sanctity of unborn babies. I checked out books at the library on fetal development. I let my children hold a tiny model of a developing baby at a display at the fair. I wanted them to make better decisions than I had, to be a voice for life, and be able to counsel friends facing tough decisions—such as whether to carry a child when facing an unplanned pregnancy.
It’s never too early to teach our children. Here are numerous ideas for parents on how to teach children at each stage of development about the sanctity of pre-born life:
