First Conversations

My first few days working in the EMC pregnancy centers have been interesting. Here I am, this white girl from Montana, still trying to figure out where everything is in the centers while offering a few words of wisdom to women who are sometimes twice my age. And we’re not talking about the weather, either, but instead having these starkly intimate conversations. Walking up to a stranger and asking her to spill her guts to me can be awkward, especially when she’s lost in a storm of fear or anger. But I’m slowly learning to find the kernel of strength and hope in such a woman, and help her to recognize its existence.

I wish you could meet all these women. Each one is so different, and each baby inside her womb has a different story. These stories have given me some of my most beautiful “firsts” this week. I saw my first ultrasound, and heard the heartbeat of a tiny 9 week old baby. And today, for the first time, I witnessed a turnaround, of a lovely girl who was so excited to tell her boyfriend he was going to be a father. She was so grateful for the individual care and attention paid to her. Instead of what she had expected, which was a “white slip of paper” and a cold doctor’s office, she received the kind of counseling that she really needed. Hearing her say this made me realize just how unique EMC is, and why the holistic work we do is so crucial. The conversations which at first seem so awkward become the key to saving these babies’ lives.