In the late spring of 1967, a single, young, energetic, smart, musical and athletic woman growing up on the East Coast found herself pregnant in her early 20s. In upstate New York she often frequented the local golf course for she enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid golfer. Out on the course she had met a 46-year-old gentleman who was married; however, his wife was at home dying of cancer.
Seemingly, now this young woman’s life was turned upside down. Her mother sent her to live with an older brother in Colorado and for the most part she lived nine months alone, carrying a baby in her womb. Her brother traveled a fair amount so she was quite isolated in a place where she basically knew no one.
How can it be that 46 years later God turned what appeared to be a tragedy into an abundance of life? That baby in the womb was Mindy, who 23 years later would marry Matt. We now have seven children, ages 4 to 21.
Mindy: I am so thankful that my birthmother chose life and through her one act of heroic courage, our entire family for generations now “jumps for joy.” One cannot even begin to imagine what my life would be if it wasn’t for the charity of my birthmother and the family that adopted me. And now as a mother myself, to experience the joy of God’s love, mercy and life through our seven children is a tremendous blessing. The accompanying photo was taken last week, when all seven gifts were home with us.
Recently I’ve been spending many hours helping my father fight through some difficult health issues. He is alone now because my mom passed away five years ago. When leaving the hospital the last visit, my dad’s eyes filled with tears, and with a lump in his throat, bloodshot eyes and his voice cracking with gratitude, said to me, “Thank God we adopted you through Catholic Charities all those years ago…” My parents had seven biological children, six boys and one girl, but they wanted their only daughter to have a sister, and so they adopted me and gave me a tremendous life.
Matt: I often contemplate the gift that Mindy, my bride, has been. She was conceived sometime in the spring of 1967 and born in February 1968. The papal encyclical of Pope Paul VI called “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”) was given to the Church on July 25, 1968. Less than five years later, the tragic law of abortion was made legal in our land on Jan. 22, 1973. Often my reflections turn to these dates and I find myself thanking God for the courage of a single young woman impregnated by a married man. Today, given the culture of death that has infiltrated our country, who knows what young women in this same predicament may do? Oh Lord Jesus, shower us here in this country with your love, mercy and life. This is why we are the Catholic Church. Through the sacraments, God is present to us every day, if we want; we have only to cooperate with all of his gifts. God—no matter where we have been or what we have done in our lives—can make all things new again, if only we turn and follow him.
