On Saturday, this 50-year-old will don a pink pussyhat and tuck poster board under my arm, then hop the bus to downtown Seattle, joining tens of thousands at the Women's March in my city, while hundreds of thousands march in Washington, D.C., and other cities around the country. Now I need to figure out a slogan for my sign. Why do I march?
I march for my 33-year-old self, the woman who in the summer of 1999 discovered at seven months along, she carried a baby with a fatal birth defect. The genetic counselor at Evergreen Hospital, said, "Trisomy 13 babies don't live long. He will be severely developmentally disabled. He will never walk, talk or feed himself." If I wanted to investigate ending the pregnancy, I could take my case to the hospital ethics board. I gave birth to Max a month later. He lived 4-1/2 days.
I march for women like me. I march for Max and for Jack, my son born one year later.
I march for my 36-year-old self, the woman who in the fall of 2002 was six months pregnant with a girl. The baby's movements slowed and the ultrasound showed a tumor in her chest. The doctor said my baby most likely wouldn't survive the weekend. I had a couple of options. He could induce now, while she was still alive. Or I could wait until she died in my womb, then induce. "Take some time this weekend to think about what you want to do and call us when you've decided," he said. Either choice meant I wouldn't be pregnant much longer.
I went home and made arrangements. By Saturday, the baby's movements were fewer and fewer, just a barely-registered thump every now and then. Sunday afternoon, it felt like a log was floating in my uterus. But I knew it wasn't a log. It was my baby. Monday morning, I checked into a labor and delivery room with a view of Husky Football Stadium. The technician performed one last ultrasound that confirmed there was no heartbeat. My daughter had died. Her birth date and death date would be one and the same.
I march for women like me. I march for all young women. I march for my daughter.
I march, too, for my mother, who lives with cancer, and who, like her mother and like me, was diagnosed in her 40s.
I march for people with health problems. I march for people with pre-existing conditions.
I march for my brother who had schizophrenia, who survived to 42 years of age thanks to government disability checks and healthcare. My brother, who would now be mocked by those in power.
I march for those who are differently-abled.
I march for LGBTQ loved ones.
I march for Muslim Americans.
I march for my Jamaican-American brother-in-law and my nieces and nephews.
I march for my elderly parents who benefit from social security and government healthcare.
I march for our democracy.
I march for free speech and peaceful assembly.
I march for agnostics like me and other non-Christians.
I march for freedom of religion.
I march for our Constitution.
I march for love of country.
And, yes, I march for that twenty-two-year-old woman so sure a man knew what to do, so sure a man should lead, so sure a man should be entrusted with her wellbeing that she didn't ask him to wear a condom.
I march for women like me. I march for you.
Now it's clear which words belong on my sign:
What's on your sign? Why do you march?
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.