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I was dreading covering the March for Life.
The reason: Mother Nature.
I am not one of those people who makes the most out of winter and has all kinds of gear for outdoor activity. I much prefer being warm.
But a friend of mine had given me a pep talk and said everyone should experience a march on the National Mall. She was right!
I felt exhilarated to be among hundreds of thousands of people exercising their First Amendment rights. And to be in Washington just days after our country celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day gave me goose bumps — in a good way.
Because I am so wimpy, though, I also had the privilege of experiencing the kindness of two of our very own priests. When I walked outside with the crowd that greeted Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, I had forgotten to zip up my jacket. Well, his assistant, Father Daniel White, urged me to bundle up or get back inside. "What would your mother say?" he joked.
Later, after taking notes at the rally, my hands were becoming numb. When I raced over to meet our Rochester pilgrims minutes before the march began, Father Mickey McGrath noticed and broke out hand warmers for my gloves when I couldn’t get my fingers to open the package. God really does look out for us!
Most heartwarming of the whole experience, though, was seeing all the young people from across the country — of different races and ethnicities — gathered to make their voices heard. Truly, there is hope for our nation.
