My first Valentine’s Day as a married woman, at the ripe old age of 22, I had a major meltdown when stores began to close and no flowers appeared. It was a Saturday night in the days before supermarkets sold fresh (or what passes for...
There is little left to the imagination in most movies or television shows when it comes to sex. But STDs get little or no airtime. Sexually transmitted diseases are like the “he-who-must-not-be-named” character who never appears on screen. This isn’t surprising. STDs don’t have any positive...
In New Jersey, a father cannot legally prevent an abortion, but he can prevent his child from being placed for adoption by withholding consent. Given these realities, what role can a father play in an unplanned pregnancy decision? A typical guy might feel he is being...
Mothers' Day arrives at the height of spring's beauty, yet it often brings painful memories and conflicted feelings. Some of this pain is straightforward and simple to understand. To put it simply, moms can be a pain at times. I know and I am. Although my...
A brochure Lighthouse distributes poses a question many will be asking this Valentine’s weekend: “Is it love?” Those who are newly “in a relationship” will want to know if their infatuation is really love, or how deeply their boyfriend or girlfriend cares for them –...
When we had our second child everyone we met would gush over the kids and tell us we had the perfect family, a daughter and a son. I remember telling a friend I was pregnant with my third, and her response was, “Oh no!” I...
If the women coming to our centers with unplanned pregnancies this December had wish lists, at the top would be the ability to look into the future to see the results of their pregnancy decisions. But there is no “Ghost of Pregnancy Decisions Future,” crystal...
To abort or not to abort; that is the question on the minds of many women, men and teens we serve at Lighthouse. New Jersey has the second highest teen abortion rate in the country, and abortion is often the first option that comes to...
