Growth in 2022: June

 

I probably say this every month, but I am genuinely surprised that we've arrived at the last few days of June. This month has seemed to go even faster than normal despite the longer days, I suspect because Rainbow has been out of school and the normal weekday routine has changed.

I'll admit that I've struggled with my One Little Word this month, especially in trying to come up with the ways that Growth has made itself known over the past several days. I probably don't need to tell you that I've been feeling very down since the news broke on Friday that Roe v. Wade had been overturned; the right to decide what I do with my body and my health has never been an issue for me, and I am heartbroken that my daughter will now have to face a future in which she may have to have children against her will or suffer potentially devastating health consequences related to a pregnancy. It's probably a good thing I wasn't working on Friday, because after hearing the news, I couldn't focus on anything.

But perhaps my reaction to the news shows some growth after all. In the past, I would have sunk into a state of helplessness upon hearing that my rights had been taken away. On Friday, though I was certainly upset and grieving, I was more angry than anything else. I wrote about my anger in my journal that night, and I promised myself I would fight back. I have a child, don't plan on having any more, and am probably closer to menopause than prime child-bearing years at this point, but in addition to being the mother of a daughter, this is about so much more than me. This decision affects roughly half the population of our country, and it will disproportionately impact people with less financial means and people of color. I've gotten past the point where I focus on how something affects me and have moved on to how this affects all of us, and rather than wallowing in despair, I vowed in my journal to look to those who are wiser and more informed to take actionable steps in the days and months to come. It looks like my state could see an influx of women from West Virginia and Ohio who are seeking abortion services, so I can donate to local service providers to start. I'll continue to contact my elected officials regularly and vote in every single election, as I always have, but now I'm going to be a single-issue voter. I'll sign petitions and join protests when I can. And I will happily accept suggestions for other concrete steps I can take to protect my daughter and all women in this country.

None of this comes easily to me. I don't like speaking loudly or talking to strangers or drawing attention to myself. But I can be uncomfortable for something that really matters and that's vitally important to me. And I think that shows some real growth on my part.

Thank you, as always, to Carolyn for hosting our monthly OLW link-up, and thank you to all of you who took the time to read this. I know many of you were equally devastated on Friday, and I hope you're also committed to fighting back.