It takes a village...

"It takes a village to raise a child..." a client told me one day at the EMC Pregnancy Center in Brooklyn. And she is right!

Many of the clients we see lack the support that so many of us take for granted. Maybe their boyfriend is forcing and pressuring them into thinking abortion is their only option... Maybe its a mother that is stressed out and can't see any hope for her "little girl" and a new child... Whatever the circumstance, many women feel the bitterness of loneliness in their decision to parent their children.

But they have their children! They see them every time they return to our center for Prenatal care, and that gives them hope... it reminds them why it is worth it! Each time a client looks into the window of the womb, she always gains a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. They are not alone in their struggles.

These clients also have each other. It is a beautiful thing to see these girls talk, laugh, share stories and phone numbers and truly form a mini-community within our center. The older, "veteran" mothers share their wisdom with the new moms. For the women that are with out the support of their own mothers, this advice is intensely valuable and needed. Truly a Life line during this time of instability.

Mothers helping mothers... a beautiful sight!

It may in fact take a village to raise a child -- and I am honored to be a member of a village that provides help and support to these strong and inspiring women.