Randi Kreiss

A chapter in a life, 800 words or less

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Twenty-three years after the fact, I have decided to write about a personal time in my life. I will tell you that story in a moment.

A few months ago, I invited readers to tell me their stories in 50 words or less. Quite a few people wrote in with compelling, concise mini-stories that somehow captured the essence of who they are and how they arrived at this point in life. So I’ve been thinking about that: how we tell the stories of our lives, what we include, what we choose to edit out and wherein lie our truths.

In some ways, that’s what I have been doing for 33 years in this space. In addition to commenting on news and community life, I’ve shared bits and pieces of my family. My kids have gone to school and left for college on this page. I went through cancer treatment with you. Just last week, my husband turned 70 in this space. My life has been an open book.

Well, perhaps semi-open. After all, I choose what to write about and what to keep to myself. I try to talk about something — an issue, a rite of passage, a person in the news — that will resonate with others. And often it does. I get letters, and most of them are thoughtful and provocative. Often, we agree to disagree. Occasionally, a letter-writer is mean-spirited and runs off the rails.

So here is my story. If you don’t like it or you disagree with my actions, please write. We can have a dialogue. Let’s keep calm and carry on.

Last week, two things happened that inspired this column. First, I noticed a new surge of legislation across the country, attempting to override and/or disable Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed a woman’s right to choose an abortion. The anti-choice initiatives include laws requiring abortion clinic doctors to have admitting rights at local hospitals, laws demanding a waiting period for women, laws limiting abortion to the first trimester, laws requiring a woman to get counseling and laws that set age limits and require parental permission. Hundreds of state laws have been enacted over the years that chip away at a woman’s right to take care of her own body in her own way.

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