Waiting for a happy pregnancy

I've been at my work for a number of years now
the people who work at my job are hard working

they make a decent living
but not an awesome one

since I've been there
no fewer than 7 women have told me that they were pregnant

and I"m still waiting
for one
who's happy about it.

One of them works at night
I know she has to leave her two kids at home alone
night after night

and now
a baby on the way

what will she do?

how will she feed it?
clothe it?
diaper it?

how will she work?

she has no insurance
she cannot afford it
she makes too much to be eligible for all the aid that's possible
some yes
but not all

not enough for daycare
that's for sure

and I see how 400,000 kids end up in foster care

and yes
there are ways to avoid a pregnancy
but those take money too

and the cooperation of your man

this on the heels of an argument on FB last week with an old friend
about the law in OK that requires welfare recipients to pay for their own drug tests

she's so self righteous about it

"I had to take a drug test - why not them?"

"did you have to pay for it?" -- of course not

and what happens to her kids?
let's say that she IS a drug addict
should her kids go hungry?

should more kids be in an already burdened foster care system?

there are no easy answers.

and I don't have answers
for anyone
certainly not
for the woman today
who told me that she's pregnant

again

with yet another baby she can't afford.

so -- come November
after Romney and whoever have stopped talking about how much they hate me
and you
and want to limit your choices
and cut care to women and children
and end support to Planned Parenthood

remember
the war on women this spring

remember that these could be your sisters
your wives
your daughters

this could be you.

secretly wishing you weren't pregnant
and not having any power to change it.