Open Letter to Women All Over

I've been in a very pensive place thinking about the state of Women's Reproductive Rights in our country. I've been thinking about all women. Especially the young women who haven't even had the chance to live or make that choice yet (now I hope you'll never have to). I have been thinking about the older women who fought for my generation and preceding generations to have the rights that are now gone. I know everyone will have an opinion. I don't want to make this about politics, but I can't help but to feel that this is an attack on women. That we've been stripped of an unequivocal right. A right to our own bodies. A right to a "freedom" in a country we call home.

As many Americans set out to celebrate, July 4th, there are many of us who don't feel comfortable celebrating a holiday in a country that is impeding our rights as women. Independence Day is supposed to stand for progress and freedom. The people of our nation are feeling less "free" with these new bans. Since every holiday has become a consumer holiday, one way to really stand for our rights is by not supporting the companies that support the policies that are damaging to our progress. Some of the corporations that have spent millions of dollars to support abortion bans include:

Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Comcast, CVS, Citigroup, Exxon/Mobil, Google, Walmart, and UPS

Personally, I know it won't be easy to stop supporting these companies altogether, but we must do our best to find different alternatives. Start small if you must, and slowly withdraw your support until you find yourself using new stores, services, and providers.

To the women who don't want children: I feel your pain. I know how extremely difficult this decision is for all of us. I know how soul crushing it feels. Regardless of your sexuality, religious beliefs, or where you are in life right now, there should be no reason why anyone should be obligated to have a child they do not want. Regardless of how much government assistance can (or cannot) be provided, how many alternates can be offered, this is your body, it should be your choice!

Not wanting to be a mother or not having a child does not make you inferior to any other women. I grew up in a Hispanic household where I was drilled not to get pregnant at an early age. This programming in my youth led me to find other alternatives with birth control and contraceptives. I didn't educate myself well. I didn't have providers that could explain the risks of contraceptives. I was on birth control a really long time! Between that, career goals, and developing a cyst after taking the pill for so long, I never made the decision to be a mother. I focused on my career and didn't have a long-term partner that encouraged the decision either. I chose to live non-traditionally and nothing in my life really contradicted this journey.

Choosing this life path has put me in may circles where my decisions have been questioned and even frowned upon. As a Hispanic woman we are expected to have a big family, on average 3 kids by the time we're in our forties! I am definitely the exception to that rule. There are women who believe you are incomplete without a having a child and feeling the pain of child labor. This is ludicrous to me! Why is it necessary to expose our bodies to childbirth trauma? I don't believe it's necessary unless you truly want to be a mother and have a child! This disapproval has been so off putting.

To the women who have children: I respect you. I acknowledge you. It's no easy job and sometimes a very thankless one. More often than not I've seen incredible relationships between a mother and her children. A relationship that I have with my own mom. Despite our differences, she accepts me and supports me. We have a solid relationship where we reciprocate love and support for each other.

To the women who want to wait to get pregnant: I SUPPORT YOU. I stand with you. This extremely controversial and jarring decision may want to oppress us as a society, but it won't. We will stand together. We will find new ways to support each other and get around this heinous ruling. We will continue to live our lives with dignity and honor while fighting for what we believe is right. We just can't give up.

There isn't a whole lot I can say right now with this ruling in place but I will stand tall in our support. I will defend our womanhood. I will give other women a chance to speak their truth and give others who feel this pain someone to lean on as we go through it.

One thing is for certain, things are always changing. We can't lose hope that we will rise again.