“It’s difficult to imagine the loss of what we cannot see. Abortion silently, persistently, unrelentingly, continues to take away generations from all of us. There simply aren’t tears enough to satisfy the mourning that would take place if we had eyes to see those who are missing from our lives.”

In 1947, on a September day in Altadena, California, a young couple brought their baby in for adoption. The adoption was immediate, and customary for that time, records were closed. The little girl grew up with a sister, riding horses in the desert canyons of Southern California.

In 1973, just three months after the historic Roe vs. Wade decision, another little girl was placed for adoption. It was March, and the beginning of spring in North Carolina. She spent her childhood in Charlotte, an answer to many prayers of her loving parents.

In 2007, on another continent, a little boy was born in the city of Soddo Wolaitta, Ethiopia. In October, he was left on the steps of Soddo Christian Hospital. Whoever placed him there took the time and effort to make sure he was found in a safe place.

Three adoptions, spread over thousands of miles and each almost thirty years apart. Each of these adoptions has changed my life.

November is national adoption month, and to celebrate, I want to say thank you. My thanks is for three women I most likely will never meet. These women found themselves pregnant and unable to care for their child. If I could, this is what I’d say:

Thank you. Thank you for choosing to carry this baby in your womb for nine months. Thank you for not choosing other “easier” options. Thank you for holding this child safely inside you, allowing him or her the chance to live. Thank you for making the painful decision to place your baby up for adoption. Thank you.

And then I would want to share with each woman how much her choice meant for me personally.

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