Hello! My name is Liz Kranendonk and I’m a 23-year-old mom of two precious young children (a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old). I get to experience the immense joy of raising these little loves, while also recognizing the huge responsibility of raising them well. I hope I can communicate to you that while the challenges sometimes seem to outweigh the present happiness, a human life is more valuable than anything else in the world. There’s SO MUCH joy to be found if you look for it rather than allow society’s selfish ideas of who you must be to prevent that joy.
Why are you prolife?
I am prolife because I know fundamentally that a human in the womb is no less human than any other human. Fetuses are simply younger babies that reside in the womb while they grow rather than outside of it. They each have their own unique human DNA. Humans outside of the womb cannot exist without first existing as fetuses. Therefore, given their humanity, they should have equal rights, including the right to life, as any other member of the human species.
I think our society is led to believe that fetuses are either something other than human or humans that are not worthy of human rights. This is done by discouraging true scientific education about embryology and pregnancy and promoting the mother’s ease of life over the child’s life. Alternatively, abortion is justified by seemingly looking out for the child’s best interest. However, it is not up to other humans to decide who gets to live and endure and overcome hard circumstances, or who must be killed before they are born to avoid them.
Abortion is sickening, but most people are indoctrinated by society from a young age and so education is of utmost importance.
What is it like to be a young mother?
Being a young mother is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, just as many other roles in life can be. However, it starts with you - if you have a negative view of the sacrifices you make for your children, you may not find it rewarding. Contentment is key. Choosing positivity regarding all the specific aspects of motherhood, looking for joy, and acknowledging and reaching out when you need help makes a huge difference.
As a mother of an unplanned pregnancy (my first), I know what it is like to go through the emotional distress of finishing my university degree with a child in tow, and realizing that it’s never going to be just me again - there will always be a dependent that relies on me for their basic needs. I am thankful that I was raised to acknowledge the value of human life and to put that over my own fears and discontentment with life’s circumstances. This is not the case for many moms of unplanned pregnancies. If you know someone going through an unexpected pregnancy, come alongside them, encourage them to think about the little child that will love them unconditionally from day 1, and support them in every way possible.
Motherhood as a young mother is loads of fun, and every week I look forward to the things I’m fortunate enough to do and enjoy with my littles. I know as they grow older, even more opportunities will arise as they can do more things and I am so looking forward to it! I have also connected with other young moms and it’s so beneficial to chat about the joys and difficulties of motherhood together, as well as supporting each other.
What have you noticed about society’s view of motherhood?
It varies! If you have a child already, people often sympathize with your difficulties first, but also smile and laugh at my kids, because they’re cute - until they cry! In general though, I think our society is increasingly individualistic and less willing to make personal sacrifices for others. This hugely affects the view of sacrificing your own sleep, hobbies, time, and energy for your kids and sadly, makes abortion that much more desirable. Society wants you to believe that children are a side hobby, and your career and personal goals are to be achieved first and foremost.
This is not to say that this comes easily to me. But, motherhood has taught me alot about sacrifice and my view of life in general. Our lives are not our own to completely control, perfect, and master. Ultimately they belong to God, and He gives us the strength to use them for His perfect purpose. Serving others, including your kids, is a way to display Christ’s service on earth and His ultimate sacrifice. Not only that, motherhood has taught me patience, humility, love, peace, and joy like no other thing has. It’s amazing, once you choose contentment, how beautiful motherhood can be!
My name is Liz Kranendonk, I’m 23 and married to my high school sweetheart, Matt. I have a degree in Kinesiology from McMaster University, which is where I first saw prolife activism in person and was immediately drawn to it as I hold deep convictions about the value of human life and the need to enlighten others who may not have this view. I did activism on campus with the prolife club McMaster Lifeline, and around campus with Hamilton Against Abortion. I have since stepped down with activism after having two young children close together and wanting to focus on our family too, but I am still supporting the cause in other ways and am thankful to be able to do that. I hope my words resonate with the reader at least in some way!