New York has just passed a bill that will inevitably lead to an even higher abortion rate. Many people who know me, who have already read poetry I wrote years ago to cope with the loss of a child, know where I stand on this. But I wanted to let people maybe see things from my perspective even more.

Having a son has been one of the most rewarding experiences I could ever imagine. And yet, because of circumstances surrounding his birth, and the early demise of a twin brother, a part of me, and I am sure a part of my wife, has always wondered in the back of my mind... What if?

What if we had never lost John Robert Fort, and had twin sons born on June 20th or so, 2002? What would life be like?

And what even makes my wife and I wonder, what if?

That one is the kicker - the thing that kicks the hardest in the gut, and the tear ducts. Why do we wonder it at all? Perhaps, simply the sight of TWO HEARTBEATS made it evident to me that life existed then! I saw it on the screen of my wife's first few ultrasounds. The potential of the two boys to come thrilled us to death. I will never forget my wife surprising me at dinner, when we went out to eat - and she presented TWO blue teddy bears, instead of just the one I expected when I discovered we were going to be parents. That reality, or potential for that reality, became even stronger when I saw the black and white static filled profile of two little baby boys inside my wife's womb.

For years, and probably even today, my wife had difficulty seeing twins without at least wondering 'what if'.

What if my son Jay never played alone? What if my son Jay had another guy to talk to in the house besides his old bear of a father, and two little male dogs? What if we had two little geniuses who had aspirations for college? What if my dad had three grandsons to see often, instead of just the two he has now? What if because my son Jay is so flipping smart, his twin happened to be some super athlete? What if, since Jay looks so much like his mom and my father-in-law, John Robert ended up looking just like me and my dad?

What if?

How many parents who had a miscarriage, especially mothers who so longed to have a child, asked that question regarding their children they discovered LIVED in their womb? The small human life, that receives nutrients from their mother, and lives and grows inside the mother because of those nutrients... that could be?

This is not some post to come down on people who might disagree and even debate on whether or not those children are actual humans or not. This is just to point out that, perhaps if you treated them as such, and convinced society to treat them all as such, then we could TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

What if, instead of telling all these women young and old that if they get pregnant 'unintentionally' they can abort that life...we tell girls at a young age that life is precious, and taking the chance on creating that life should be carefully planned or considered?

What if, instead of putting so much of the potential for life in the hands of people who will ACTUALLY PROFIT off such measures as abortion, we focus on educating young people to not be so quick to have sex? It doesn't have to be about religion, but about LIFE, and how it happens.

What if one of these babies that has been taken in such heinous fashion would have grown up to cure cancer? What if one of these babies grew up to become a modern day Billy Graham, who unites people instead of divides?

What if we taught young people to think about their actions... and the consequences of those actions?

What if some of us, one day when we are no longer part of this cursed, sinful world, sit up at the right hand of God, praising our Heavenly Father - we happen to notice millions of touched souls; souls saved by the grace and mercy of God, who never had to live in a fallen world... and we suddenly realize they were better off ONLY because of God's mercy?

What if, when my son dies and stands in Heaven, he meets his twin brother for the first time in a long while - and they unite in brotherly love?

These are the thoughts that occur to me when I think of this issue. I just think we are missing a bigger picture. I do hope and pray something similar to what I just described is possible. But perhaps we should give more of these kids a chance while we can.

What if?