Lord, Bless the Children--Part 2 by Sharon Espeseth

Jenny with Newborn Baby Caleb 

For the October prompt, we were asked, “What hot button issues has God invited you to become involved in?" I also take that to mean, “What issues are you passionate about?”  In "Lord, Bless the Children--Part One," I talk about my passion for the well-being of children, which may be why I taught for three decades.

My husband and I have raised our three adopted children. Although they are all independent, they know we are here and will help as we are able. We have supported and encouraged our adult children and their spouses in the raising of their children. 

Together, Hank and I have supported one overseas child at a time since 1975. 

Could we have done more for the world’s children? No doubt. But we are thankful we’ve had the ways and means to contribute toward the well-being of some children and their families, as well as our own children and grandchildren. 

As I also mention in Part One of this writing, I am pro-life, not in the sense that I judge others who don’t have the same views as mine. I am, however, eager to advocate for the life of an unborn child. 

Looking Back

Today there is more assistance for not just unwed mothers, but any woman with an unplanned pregnancy-- any woman or young girl who is in need of counselling and/or assistance, if they choose to keep the child. We give donations to a group that supports women with unplanned pregnancies. I have walked in local pro-life marches. 

I’ve had articles, stories and articles about our family and our adoptions published in newspapers and magazines. I’ve written in the hopes that women who are in a pregnancy predicament can think of alternatives to abortion, including adoption. Below are summaries of a few of my published stories.

Lacey is one more to love

1. “One More to Love” was published in Celebrate Life Magazine.

When our daughter Christie was pregnant with her and Donnie’s third child, the doctor asked Christie if this was “a planned pregnancy.” Christie sort of giggled and said, “No, it wasn’t.”

Before the end of the appointment, the doctor picked up her appointment book and said, “We’ll have to book your abortion.”

“Abortion?” Christie said. “I never said anything about an abortion.”

On hearing this story, one of my sisters said, “I don’t think anyone in our family will ever have an abortion.” Such is the family’s respect and gratitude toward our kids’ birth mothers who chose to give them the gift of life.

2. “Special Gift, Special Delivery” was published in Celebrate Life Magazine. This story was also shortlisted in the Non-fiction category of the Word Guild Contest the following year. Another version of the story, with other details and more farm humour, was published in The Western Producer.

For Jenny’s third pregnancy, she and Rob had invited me to be with them in the delivery room when the baby arrived. The doctor had decided Jenny should be induced, so the schedule was set. I went with her for this “induction” procedure. Hank had dropped us off at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. The nurse said we were free to go, but told us we should phone the nursing station every two hours. 

The rest of the adults--Rob, Hank, our daughter Christie and her husband Donnie were in charge of the kids at Jenny and Rob’s place in Leduc. Hank picked us up so we could join them. Jenny, uncomfortable at this point, went for a bath to relax her. Rob looked after her. After her bath, they came downstairs where Jenny slumped her not-so-tiny body into the closest chair. “I’m not going to make it,” she said.

Her announcement triggered a flurry of activity: 9-1-1, blankets, towels, and a pillow for making Jenny comfortable on the carpeted floor, not far from the front door. That’s when little Abbie woke up. Donnie put a coat on his daughter and whisked her off to Bella’s Hallowe’en party at Kindergarten, thus giving Jenny some privacy. Logan was still napping in the crib upstairs.

Christie, the most experienced or qualified in birthing took charge. Since she had given birth to her daughter Abbie and had delivered several litters of piglets on our small farm, no one argued. Hank sat on the floor and gently stroked Jenny’s forehead and held her hand. 

I’d been racing frantically around the house. I even suggested boiling water. “Not unless you want tea,” Christie quipped. Jenny calmly told me to sit down, shut up and hold on. (Those were her original instructions for me when I nervously about being in the delivery room.) “This is it!” she said. 

Sitting down beside Hank, I was awed by the whole experience. Just as Christie announced the baby was coming, three EMTs walked through the door. Because of the courtesy rule of “Ladies First,” the female EMT caught Baby Caleb. The professionals took it from there.

Later, I told Christie that, had the EMTs not arrived in time, she could have done this. 

Shrugging her shoulders. Christie smiled teasingly at Jenny and said, “It just like birthing pigs.”

 3. "A Gift that Keeps on Giving,” was published in “Offerings” in the Edmonton Journal. 

Updated to 2020. Our three children, now in their early forties, continue to be the gifts that keep on giving. Our two daughters are married, so we’ve also been blessed with their husbands as part of our family.

Michael and Hank

Christie and Donnie now have three children and Jenny and Rob have three children. We are, therefore, Papa and Nana to a “pride” of six grandchildren. Our Michael, who lives on his own in Calgary, is also a big part of our family. One of the kids named him “Unto Mito,” which we still hear occasionally, even though we have no more baby talkers.

                                                               

Isabella's Graduation
Proud Supporters: Caleb, Rob, Jenny, Logan

Back: Sadie, Abbie, Donnie
Front: Lacey, Teddy, Christie

Hank and I are proud of our three adult kids, the sons-in-law and the grand ones. I wrote the first version of this blog--the one my computer and/or Blogspot turned into gobbledegook--in October, which is the Canadian month for Thanksgiving. We consider our family to be one of our greatest blessings. Normally, we love to get together with the bunch. Sadly, those visits are restricted due to Coronavirus numbers rising. We pray for the day when we can freely spend time with family. For now, we are careful and follow Covid guidelines.  

Thank you, Dear God,  for our families and loved ones, for the gift of life, and for those who support life and realize its importance at all its stages. Amen.