Life

Sometimes things happen to people and it's all I can do to hold my tongue and not just spill out my entire belief system on them. You know, pull them aside and just really give them a talking to about the way things are. I realize, however, that other people might not be interested in my entire belief system, so I keep it to myself. Here, however, on my blog, I will say my two cents.

I believe that every life has value. All of them. Lives barely lived and those that flourish. I cannot begin to fathom why some lives are so very short, but I do believe in their value.

This is not about abortion--that is far too big and complex an issue for this little space. Rather, this is about lives that are not seen. Children who don't live long enough or people whose value is harder to see.

These lives matter too.

Somewhere on the net--some public forum where the truly ignorant people give their opinion on things barely related to the topic--I saw someone write, "People should contribute and sitting in a chair and drooling isn't contributing." She was arguing against life-saving blood transfusions although what that was to do with the disabled, I'm not sure.

I'm going to go ahead and say that I don't particularly think of drooling as a contribution. I don't think leaving hateful messages on the Internet is much of a contribution either.

But someone who is sitting in a chair drooling might still be contributing. They might be helping someone realize their life isn't so bad--providing some perspective. They might be a much-needed, constant companion. They might be a brilliant author. They might be helping to stretch the boundaries of modern technology. They might be an inspiration when they smile.

There's just no way to know what sort of lasting legacy a person is creating.

I feel the same way about little souls who leave us too soon.

I know this one from personal experience. I still think about the little girl who passed away while Charlie was still in the hospital. She touched me. Her life was valuable to me. Is there any doubt that others felt the same way?

On the Internet and in real life I hear women recount stories of miscarriage and what I always take away from them is this: that life mattered to that woman. Maybe no one else could see it, maybe it was fleeting, but that life was important and someone will never be the same because of it. How could you measure the impact of that?

This is not meant to be a political statement. I'm not trying to be controversial or take on big issues like "choice." This is just me--one person--saying that while accomplishment may be the yard stick for many things, I don't think it's a good one for this. Each life leaves an imprint on this world and it's not for us to judge the importance of it.