Thanks, Wherever You Are

by Austin Rhodes It was your call. It could have all been over in 20 minutes. A D&C as it is called by medical professionals… an abortion in the more common use of the phrase. 20 minutes… over and out. Forever. You chose to take another route. You made the decision 21 years and seven months ago. You saw it through. Thank you, wherever you are. Your choice gave me my daughter. You sacrificed nine months of physical comfort, suffered countless nauseous mornings, survived fitful nights tortured by conscience and guilt, and faced every conceivable regret a soul can bear. You did it for me and her mother, you did it for her little brothers and sister, you did it for all of us who love her, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I held her in my arms 60 seconds after she left your body, and in my heart, I have not let go of her once. She was perfect from the start, and makes me proud to this very moment. Her first word was “Daddy”… her favorite sound was her Mom’s voice. Her first cat was Jackson, her first dogs, Sweetness and Penny. She watched spooky movies with me and played in the kitchen with her “MA.” She shopped with “Mama Bev” and learned about the computer from “PA.” She loves sports like her Aunt Judy, and music like her Uncle “Bubba.” She is an important part of a loving, extended family, and it is all because of you. Twenty-one years later, she is a beautiful young woman with her entire life ahead of her. I wanted a smart, talented, athletic daughter, so it was clear I was going to have to adopt one. I got all that with Christine, and a whole lot more. Like me, she is not much of a morning person. I got to see that up close every day as I used to drive her to school. She is a much better student than I was in most subjects, but just like me she often loses sight of the finish line. Like her Mom, she is a natural with small children, and has spent most of the last few years working as a beloved babysitter and cherished nanny. Like every Rhodes on the planet, she pitches fits over lost football games and “fumbled” elections. The next time someone does a “nature vs. nurture” study, they should consider January 2005 when our “family team,” the Pittsburgh Steelers, almost handed the Indianapolis Colts a playoff game on a platter. Not to rehash the game, but in the ultimate tense final moments, with a house full of family living and dying with every play, Christine and her “Daddy Bob” both disappeared out the backdoor, too angry and heartbroken to see anymore. When the Colts’ kicker was wide right on the game tying kick, the two of them reacted with the same amazed look of relief, disgust and celebration. Granddaughter and Granddaddy… two of a kind in the Black and Gold, whooping it up in the backyard, entertaining neighbors in ever direction. All was right in the world a few weeks later when we gathered again, in our customized jerseys, to cheer our team on to a Super Bowl victory. Just like I had last done with my Dad and Grandfather 26 years earlier. Memories now sharing a place in my heart with Christine’s first birthday party, her first roller coaster ride, her first Georgia game, her first Christmas, her first day of school and her high school graduation. I stood beside her as she looked down on New York City for the first time from the Empire State Building, the first time she skied down a mountain, and the night she whispered and giggled in the corner of a crowded meeting room (much to the chagrin of a waiting Secret Service detail) with President Bush. Christine has already had an incredible life, and the great part is, she is just getting started. When her Mom and I were told we couldn’t have children of our own we had no way of knowing what your wonderful choice was going to ultimately give us. It was your Constitutional right to go the other way, and there was no one and nothing to guide you but your own heart, your own soul, and your own faith. You did the right thing, and we thank you for it every day of our lives. In 1991 there were 1,556,500 women who made the other choice. Twenty-one years ago this week my first child and only daughter was born. Happy Birthday to her, and wherever you are, Happy Birthday to you, too.You Might Also Like: