Perception and Reality

  Sometimes our perception of reality and the actual reality are two different things.  Sometimes if we had the knowledge that we needed to take two steps to one side or the other, we could do that, and afterwards, we very well may see things completely differently.  But, if we don't know there is another perspective, if we don't know to take those steps away from our perceived reality, we very well may not see the forest for the trees, so to speak.  I am convinced that many times women in crisis pregnancies cannot see options and alternatives right in front of them, because they don't know they need another perspective.  They can't see options that may be available to them, because they can only, in that crucial time, focus on their unexpected pregnancy.  Many factors influence a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.  Many factors can cloud the perception and thinking of a woman in this position.  Factors such as relationships, hormones, money, self-image, resources, fears, time and the sense of urgency that accompanies pregnancy to name a few can keep a woman facing a crisis pregnancy from seeing the full reality of her options.  So many times I hear women say they felt what I felt, "I didn't want to have an abortion, but I thought I had to, it was the only option I could see at the time."  That is a terrifying place to be in, let me tell you.  It's as if you're between a rock and a hard place literally.  I watched a movie a few months ago called 127 Hours, which was a true story about a guy named Aron Ralston who was rock climbing in Utah, when a boulder dislodged and wedged his arm between it and a wall of rock.  After waiting and trying for days to survive and to get his arm out of the deadly place that it was in, he finally resorts to cutting off his own arm in order to live.  If you watch this movie, you will come close to understanding the desperation that some women who have abortions feel inside their bodies and minds and spirits, when they feel forced to do something that is seemingly impossible and unthinkable to them.  These are the women that Oaks Studio seeks to minister to, seeks to help and work with in a non-judgmental, empathic and caring way.