I received an email that moved me to tears

On October 2nd, I received an unexpected email from a woman I shall refer to as simply J. for the sake of her anonimity. Her note deeply moved me. There are times when one realizes that his life has made a difference for good. This was one such occasion.

Keep reading. -- Mark Pickup
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Dear Mr. Pickup,

I don't know if you'll remember me, but I met you at the National Right to Life Committee Conference in 2001. I remember being moved by your speech, and my mother and I took home a copy of your video [To Be, or Not To Be -- The Human Family] when we went back to Boston. What I didn't count on at the time was just how meaningful that speech would be for me just a few months down the line.

Less than a year after being at the NRLC event, I found out that I was pregnant, during my senior year of high school. My fiance was supportive and was prepared to do whatever he needed to do to help me as I carried our child. Both of us were pro-life, but I was absolutely petrified. I knew 100% that abortion was wrong and that my child was a child, made in the image and according to the likeness of God, but it was so hard to fight back the knowledge that I was in Massachusetts and could easily have had a taxpayer funded abortion without anyone ever knowing about it. My life could just go on as it had before, unless you count a broken heart and wounded humanity.

Whenever I started feeling weaker in resolve, I would watch the video of your speech because it gave me the courage to see that I was not so weak that violence ought to be done to "protect" me. Your courage in facing your own trials made it easier for me to stand up to my own challenges, and we have done so with reliance on the grace of God and a firm commitment to hard work. My son turns 6 years old this Sunday, and my husband and I now also have 3 other small children ages 3, 1 ½, and 2 months:

We both graduated college the same year that we would have without becoming pregnant, and now both of us are working at jobs that we love. I'm working from home now, for the same pro-life organization that was so helpful to me and my husband as we planned for parenthood while working our ways through college.

I stumbled on your blog, and felt like I needed to say "thank you" for having the courage to share your story and to speak the truth in a world growing deaf. I heard you, and my life and the lives of my children have been better for it.

Thank you again,

J