Life is a Party

I am so blessed to live in Canada. During the next six months, the citizens of my province will participate in not one but two democratic political elections - one on a smaller, provincial level and the other on a country-wide expanse. What we take for granted here on this continent, many lose their lives fighting for in many other places in the world.

At the same time in Canada, there is a lack of dignity afforded to the extremely vulnerable . Abortion is legal and purported to be a readily made alternative by obstetricians . For example, when counselling parents whose babies have been prenatally screened for Down Syndrome, abortion is top choice. In fact, 90% of parents choose abortion in this category. As a parent of Peter, my four year old who happens to have this diagnosis, I can tell you that the world is poorer for it. The consequences are chilling.

This weekend my 14 year old daughter Josephine, celebrated her birthday by taking in an IMAX 3-D movie called Born to Be Wild. This mom gives the movie a 5 star rating and I am a very tough critic in all things media especially where my children are concerned. The storyline consists of the life journeys of two women who in Kenya and Indonesia have raised baby elephants and orangutans back into their own environments. The animals are rescued when their own moms have been killed or poached . These babies are nurtured by knowledgeable keepers that provide a type of care that ultimately prepares the babies to return to their natural wild habitat.

I immediately thought of Mother Theresa and how she asked the world to bring her their unwanted babies. Her life was all about a similar ministering to the most vulnerable.

And so as my oldest daughter, Emily (19) and my oldest son, David (18) exercise their democratic right to vote for the first time this spring, I talk to them about checking the issues against their own values and concerns. Better yet, says Mom, why not begin the Life Party? This political organization determines the value of every course of action and decision-making based on how it upholds the dignity of human persons. Economic challenges, social concerns, environmental decisions, strategies to deal with global issues, etc. Life can be a party and why shouldn’t it be?