Diary of a Delegate: Reproductive Rights and Doing no Harm

Like all legislative committees, Church and Society B will divide into subcommittees to handle the categories of our (rather massive) load of resolutions and petitions. Although I requested this committee because of my strong desire to see our church change its policy on homosexuality, there's a good chance I may volunteer for or be placed…

Diary of a Delegate: Abortion and the language of abuse

The following conversation will be very blunt, and may not be for the faint of heart. Persons having experienced pregnancy loss may want to skip this one. Being on the Church and Society 2 Committee for General Conference means that, in addition to reading and talking about homosexuality a lot, I also have the privilege…

Because you had a bad day

Today is a rough day. In the past 24 hours, waves of loss and worry have swept the world-- the world out there and the world closer to home. As with any disasters, personal or global or anywhere in between, I feel a bit at a loss under the weight of all that pain and…

A year and then some

The one year anniversary of my miscarriage came and went, unnoticed by anyone. Including me. It was a Thursday, a week and a half ago. I was working. When I did realize it, three days later, I didn't even really feel badly about it. It's okay. Maybe even a good thing. But that doesn't make…

Addendum

My husband and I received a sympathy card on Friday. It was sent by a colleague in my Annual Conference, and she thought she had sent it out back in March. In an enclosed note, she described how she found the card while moving over the summer and went back and forth about sending it,…

Guessing at what I need.

On the personal horizon for me this week is a day I can't avoid. September 25 was the day I was due to have a baby. On March 11, when I thought I was nearing the 12-week 'safe' mark of my pregnancy, we experienced a miscarriage, and that pregnancy-- one for which we'd been trying…

Six weeks.

It's been six weeks, and it still hurts like hell sometimes. I found this blog entry from another mom. It doesn't all ring true, but a lot of it does, especially her line, "The truth is it’s not fair to make me feel uncomfortable just because you are." Well said. Healing comes in small steps,…

Two weeks out

It's a sunny and almost warm spring day in Central Vermont. I even had a robin on my porch this morning. It's also two weeks since I lost the baby, and I haven't managed to go a whole day without tears yet, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for me. Bit by bit. The…

Pamper me

I'm not a stuff person, and I don't go asking for gifts a lot. But I feel like this might be a good occasion. I'd like you to give me something. Nothing huge, and preferably something that can be sent by email or explained via phone call. A poem. A picture. A prayer (I'm specifically…

Mourning Miscarriage, or not

"Me too." After I'm sorry, those are the two most prevalent words I've heard the past few days. The number of women and their partners who have experienced miscarriage is staggering, although it shouldn't be surprising from the statistics. An estimated one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage (although many are within the first month,…