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How pro-life are your words?
In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling my mind
has been thinking more and more about life; being pro-
life that is. And you know what struck me? My kids!
As you can imagine with five young kids I talk/listen all
day, whether it’s correcting, teaching, or just chatting;
it’s all day. And one thing I’ve noticed is how pro-life
my kids are. I am amazed. We don’t do anything ex-
traordinary, I wish we did, but we just live our life and
talk about things.
For instance, the other day my 5-year-old started
talking about our babies in Heaven. She wasn’t sad
about it, she was just very aware -- but it was her word-
ing “Mommy by the Grace of God you have those ba-
bies in Heaven watching and waiting for us.” Wow! Or
even in random conversations about family one of the
kids will use wording like “the next baby…” or “when
you have another baby,” and my favorite, “Look, Mom,
I’m nursing my baby.”
I know that throughout our day I remind my chil-
dren that they are gifts from God; that they are such
blessings, and I am so grateful that God gave them to
me. It might seem like just words, but those words are
so powerful to young children.
So my question to you today is this, how pro-life are
your words? Do your kids hear you speaking lovingly
about children or do you find yourself joking about your
hands being full, how you just need
a break, or you can’t wait for school
to start again? Or do they know how
lucky you are to have them?
These are great questions we all
need to think about. Just like our ev-
eryday faith, our kids are watching
and listening to everything we say
and do. If we aren’t reminding our
children how much of a blessing and
gift they are, then are they going to
grow up thinking that kids are a bur-
den? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know
that now, as my children are 7 and under, they think
and speak like every
baby is a gift from God; I
hope and pray that never
changes! St. Francis has
been paraphrased in say-
ing “preach the Gospel
always, and when neces-
sary use words.” Our kids
might not always listen
when we lecture them,
but they sure do watch
our every move, and hear
us speak to others -- so let’s join together and make sure
we’re showing the next generation how pro-life we are
in everything we do!
Jessica Maddox is a free lance columnist and a pa-
rishioner of Holy Spirit Parish, Vancleave.
Faith and
Family
Maddox
