When I was 21 years old, I finished my army duty and I was released from the IDF. A short time afterward, I entered a relationship with a guy who immigrated to Israel from Brazil. We both were very young and immature. We were together for 5 months and like every young couple, we had our ups and downs. However, a turning point came when I took a pregnancy test and two bright red stripes appeared in front of our eyes. I will never forget the shock and the turmoil I felt as we found out about the pregnancy. The fact that I was pregnant hit me very hard. My boyfriend was also in complete shock, but he was glad, too. So many thoughts started passing through my mind. I was just released from the army and I was still a girl. I didn’t feel I had reached fulfillment. I hadn’t done the things I really wanted to do, the things I dreamed about. I did not want to become a mother now. End of story. But, in my inner being, I knew that getting an abortion was not an option for me. Both my boyfriend and I knew that we must continue with this pregnancy and I would give birth to this baby.
The pregnancy period was filled with ups and downs, with different thoughts, fearful thoughts, anxious thoughts, and feelings of shame. But, at the same time, I felt joy, and excitement! It was also during this period that I rededicated my life to God. I went through a deep process and many inner changes. In the end, we kept the baby and we didn’t abort him. The pregnancy made me bloom in many ways, not just physically. It made me break through personal barriers I had for years, to get to know myself in a deeper way, and to realize that I am really strong.
And so, it was with much joy that Adiel was born on September 18, 2016. We decided to call him “Adiel”, because it means “God’s jewel” in Hebrew. Everyone who knows my boyfriend and I know that jewelry is one of our signature statements. And, Adiel is our most beautiful, most precious jewel. He is God’s jewel. And I am grateful to God in heaven for the gift He gave to us. Life is, indeed, a beautiful and priceless gift.
