The Father and Extended Family Refuse to #ShoutYourAbortion

I am about to share with you a letter written by a devastated great aunt upon learning that her nephew’s girlfriend, pregnant, had an abortion.

I am honored this individual asked me to share this letter with you via my blog, and I am humbled by this responsibility, for two reasons.

To begin with, this letter clearly shows the grievous impact an abortion can have on the father of that baby and the expectant family. This is a reality that is largely ignored or dismissed by the pro-choice community because the baby takes up residence in the mother’s womb. It is her body, so, they surmise, it is ultimately up to her to decide what should be done with the life of the infant. However, after reading this letter and the pain exhibited therein, I would encourage those who hold that view to reconsider that position.

Another reason I feel privileged to share this letter with you today is because it gives this baby, lost to abortion at the hands of her mother, a voice. This letter acknowledges her little life and the huge impact it had on her family. This testimony shares her name with you and shares how much she was is loved.

Let me share with you now, Aaliyah - via her great aunt’s letter and with her father’s permission.

Dear person that I am going to have to work long and hard to forgive,

To say that I am mad at you doesn't even come close to how I feel! There isn't a word strong enough or ugly enough to describe how I feel about you today!

You hurt our family deeply today. You forever ripped a precious baby that we all love from our lives. That's not all you did though, is it?

You didn't just take her away. You KILLED her!! Because of you, our precious Aaliyah is DEAD!

My sweet sister who wanted nothing more than to love her granddaughter asked me, "What kind of a person does this?!" I just don't know the answer to that because behind your sweet little smile is a MURDERER!

You are now a mother who KILLED her own child! Do you get that? Because I don't think you do!

You didn't just kill your child though! You also killed OUR child!

That little girl's daddy already loves her so much and would do anything for her. You didn't give him that chance though. He was powerless to save his daughter from her mother who wanted to kill her!

Now he is crushed! His baby girl is DEAD! Do you get that? YOU stopped her precious little heart!

They begged you not to do it! They offered you everything they could to save her life. They cried and prayed that something, ANYTHING would make you change your mind! Nothing could though, and you KILLED her!

Did you really think that your very own precious baby was going to ruin your life?! Well I've got news for you missy, that baby would have given you the greatest joy you have ever felt in your life! That baby would have loved you more than anybody in this world ever has!

I sure hope you make something great of your life. You better make it amazing. You better do something really special because that is what your baby died for! That is what OUR baby died for!

Your choice today is going to haunt you for the rest of your life. It will NEVER go away! No matter what you do from here on out you will always be a mother who KILLED her own child!

If you are ever given the blessing of becoming a mother again, DO NOT make the same mistake twice! DO NOT rip another man's baby from his life! DO NOT tear a giant hole in his heart that can never be fully repaired! DO NOT devastate another family the way you have ours!

We were all thrilled that you were having a baby. We were so happy that we were going to have this baby in our family. We all loved her so much already!

Did you know that? Sadly, I already know the answer to that. Yes! Yes, you did know that! Yet, you still chose to kill OUR baby!

Did you know that I had already bought YOUR baby some clothes? I bet you didn't! You didn't know because you never gave me a chance to give them to you!

Let me tell you about them. They are little red and white shirts that wrap in the front. They have little snaps so that you wouldn't have had to wake her by pulling the shirt over her head. One of them has little snowflakes on it because she would have been born close to Christmas.

She was going to be beautiful! I know it! On the outside you are so very beautiful. You would have passed that on to her you know?!

Oh dear, I could go on and on, but you've already heard it all. I know you have because my sweet sister tried everything she could to save her granddaughter's life. And my nephew whose child you killed, begged you not to do it. Didn't he?!

They both told you that WE would take care of that child in every way if you didn't want to. They both told you that they would help YOU in every way possible. They both told you that they would support you and that baby. My sister invited you into her home and said that she would take care of everything!

None of that meant anything to you though. None of it mattered because in the end it is a woman's right to choose! Isn't it?! Forget the father and his whole family! They don't matter a bit!

You got the right to choose what happened to your body and I hope you're happy about it! Because OUR baby sure didn't! She died without a choice!

She had a beating heart, tiny arms and legs, tiny hands and feet with fingers and toes on them. She was a person! She was a BABY and you KILLED her!

May God forgive you because I sure as HELL am not about to!

Sincerely, Aaliyah's loving Great Auntie

Daddy loves you, Aaliyah!