I had a few take-aways that I wanted to share from our pro-life discussion with the mother and son duo in Krakow. First, the mother kept coming back to the same principle of happiness. The teenager should not sacrifice her own happiness and have the baby. The unwanted child will not be happy, and so why make it suffer by bringing it into this cruel world? I really wanted to ask the mother about her notion of happiness. I wanted to ask what the happiest moment of her life was. I wonder if she would have answered that it was the birth of her son. I certainly hope that his birth would at least have been in the top ten. She was traveling through Europe with her son, choosing to spend these weeks of vacation with him. Surely their bond as mother and son brought her happiness. But at what price? I’m certain she had moments of suffering, pain, and doubt. And I’m positive that if she had to do it all over again, if she was asked if it was all worth it, she would have answered yes. Yes, this marvelous young man is worth any pain and suffering on my part. In fact, if it came to it, I would lay down my life to save his. And so pain and suffering bring forth happiness. Especially in motherhood; especially when it comes to caring for the most innocent among us.

Secondly, there is hope. Hope for the younger generation. The young man was so certain that the baby in the womb had no sign of life. He was surprised to find out that there is a heartbeat at 22 days. Many people already accept that it’s a life, but then rationalize that it is somehow less of one, and therefore disposable. But this young man, “progressive college” and all, was resting on the certainty that there was no life present in the womb. Andrew encouraged him to challenge his professors, challenge his ready-made beliefs, and be prepared to encounter Truth. This younger generation thirsts for it. Even if they don’t say it, these young people ache to battle this truth and be completely overcome by it.

Lastly, it must be noted that Andrew and I never brought up God, Catholicism, or any specific set of religious beliefs at all. The beauty of the pro-life stance is that it is firmly rooted in Natural Law. This is not a viewpoint that must adhere to a narrowed, specific set of religious doctrine. It is universal, transcending all religions, or non-religions, as the case may be. Finally, it is the fulfillment of a total conviction of the sacredness of life―no matter the circumstances of its creation, and no matter how horrid a turn that particular life may take. From conception to its natural end, we are a pro-life people.