Opinion

Note: Kelly Clinger, a performer and former backup singer for the pop star Britney Spears, had two abortions when she was in her early twenties. She is now a pro-life speaker for Silent No More Awareness and blogs about her pro-life activities here.

Would you like to know the wonder of Twitter?

Well, here’s a great example…

On Friday morning, I tweeted, “thinking of driving to Alabama to see @OctoberBabyFilm.” Within a few minutes I was on the phone with Dan Atchison, the film’s producer, and he invited us to the premier that night in Birmingham with the cast and crew. We moved a few things around and we were on the road to Alabama.

I didn’t know much about October Baby except that it was a movie about a girl who found out she was an abortion survivor. To my surprise, the film is much deeper than that.

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October Baby follows Hannah (played by Rachel Hendrix) as she goes on a journey to find her biological mom…AND find herself. The exchanges between Hannah, her adoptive parents and her best friend, Jason, all paint a sobering, truthful picture about wondering who you are and where you come from.

Without even knowing that she was adopted or the survivor of an abortion, Hannah grew up feeling like something just didn’t fit. She felt like an outsider, and she built walls to protect herself. She had all of the symptoms of living through trauma…even though the trauma all occurred earlier than her memory could take her.

As the film progressed, I recognized the uniqueness of the relationship between Hannah and Jason (played by Jason Burkey). He was so tender and patient with her. He helped her discover answers to the questions in her life by becoming the one truth that she knew. His integrity and honesty were traits that are scarce in young men these days.

One of the most powerful scenes in the movie for me was when Hannah tracks down the nurse from the abortion clinic, played by Jasmine Guy. I don’t want to give anything away here, so I’ll just say that I was STUNNED at the honesty of what the nurse shared. She talked about the truth of what goes on in abortion clinics. I cried and cried. The truth HAS to be told, and the makers of October Baby were not afraid to tell it.

Hannah does find her birth mother, and after much soul searching and a heart to heart with a priest, she decides to forgive her. She writes the words “I forgive you” on a torn piece of paper and leaves it on her birth mother’s desk. As a post abortive woman, I truly believe this scene in the movie healed a small part of my soul. I have dreams of hearing an “I forgive you.” Maybe one day.

After the movie, we were able to speak with some of the cast and one of the directors, Jon Erwin. We thanked them for their boldness and their honesty in making this movie and for taking on roles that most actors would run from. Many people don’t realize the ramifications of standing for Christ and His values in Hollywood, but I surely do.

Also, the quality of this movie is stellar. It looks and feels like a high budget, Hollywood-produced film. Praise the Lord for THAT!

PLEASE go see this film. It is playing in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee right now. Take your friends and family to see it. Take your older children and let it open up a dialogue in your home about the importance of EVERY life. As I travel on behalf of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, I am going to use October Baby to speak of the many victims of abortion. I am only one person, but my voice will be heard.

On our way home to Atlanta, our 15 year old daughter was sitting in the back seat of the car. She asked, “Mom, how are abortions done?” Honestly, I cringed for a moment. Everything becomes more real when you say it out loud.

We fumbled around with the right words, but there really is no way to wrap abortion in a nice, palatable package. She began weeping and said, “How can we allow this? Do people know? Oh, Mom, I’m so glad you’re speaking out.”

Then, I asked her if she forgave us for aborting her siblings.

“Of course I do, Mom…and they forgive you, too.”