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Years later, Debby, the daughter of a good friend, came to visit. She had just discovered that she was unintentionally pregnant. I held back from saying much; I only listened. I was just there, for her and with her. There was trust. She felt welcome and safe. The picture of her daughter now hangs in my living room. People often tell me: because you are unmarried, you can do what you want. That is not true. Freedom, I have learned, is synonymous with availability for others. As a Christian, I know that God’s hand rests on my shoulder and that he does not always do what I want. He’s just there for me. In the same way, I want to be there for others. That’s my place in the world and in the Church.

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