Can I Live?

In light of mothers day,  I thought this video was apropo.

A real life encounter of a touchie subject - Nick Cannon tells his mothers story,  the story of a young woman who was pregnant, scared and alone. She faced a difficult decision and Nick goes back in time to plead with his own mother for his life. 

For many years I have had the privilege of sharing the journeys of girls as young as twelve to women in their forties who were encountering this same situation and faced with the same decision - to give or not to give life to their child. You name it and I heard it (rape, incest, abandonment. ) My heart broke many times for these women because there is no "easy way out" in a situation such as this. 

When i became a mother myself i gained an additional perspective. After the blessing of pregnancy and carrying my child for nine months, challenged by constant nausea and a natural unmedicated labor and birth, I understood the sacrifice and physical pain attached to motherhood and my respect and admiration for the young, scared, unloved, and abandoned women like Nick's mom who said 'yes' even though they had to do it alone,  grew exponentially. 

Nick's question to his mother, "can I live" is hauntingly chilling, and Nick will never know this side of heaven how many women he has helped to give a face and a voice to a child conceived but not conceivable. In my own experience,  this video, has had the greatest impact and above any other influence, has helped mothers say yes to Nicks question.

How beautiful that Nick can share his talent with us in telling his mom's story, acknowledging her pain and her strength, and in the end of the video actually brings his mom on to thank her for saying "yes" to the question he asks her over and over again.