By Fay McClurg

Fay is in a small writing group that has been choosing prompts from Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones” card deck. This post is her response to the prompt, “No Thank You.”

No thank you to the young woman who came to the door. She came in the late afternoon,
clipboard in hand. Cheeks flushed from the heat of the day, she was wearing her name tag from Planned Parenthood. She was earnest and sincere. She reminded me that the Dobbs decision was handed down by the Supreme Court just one year ago, overturning Roe V. Wade and wiping out women’s constitutional right to abortion. Planned Parenthood is in the vanguard to protect women’s right to health care. We agreed: Yes, it is great that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has a new, but narrow liberal majority, but we clearly need more protection. I told her that I knew the issues and let her know I was on her side. Could I provide financial support to Planned Parenthood on a monthly basis, she asked? I thanked her for her good work, but I said ‘no’ to her request. I uttered something about family changes that made it hard for me to make new financial commitments.

No thank you.

Would it have been so hard to make this financial commitment? The young woman at my door seemed guileless. I believe in the cause, I trust Planned Parenthood. The financial commitment that was being asked of me was minimal.

I’d like to believe that my refusal to commit to her plea was based on my stubborn refusal to give money to anyone who comes to my door to ask for it. But maybe I said no thank you for other reasons?

Maybe I said no thank you because the issue does not have the urgency for me, personally, that it once did? I’m past my child bearing years. I’ve had access to excellent healthcare throughout my life and I’ve been able to take it for granted. Of course I want my daughter and granddaughter and all women – in the US and around the world – to have agency over their own bodies and be able to get the health care they need.

But would my dollars make a difference?

What about other pressing issues? Free and fair elections? Climate change? Food security, affordable housing and child care for families? What about education and literacy? I can’t forget about the songbirds and the feral cats. What about the local food pantry and the back to school drive to get backpacks to kids? What about research to vanquish neuro-degenerative diseases? And the arts – that bring us so much joy? The arts that help us understand the human condition and have the power to create community? Should I do more to help my young adult children? Save for my granddaughter’s future?

I’m overwhelmed. So I just say, as kindly as I can: No thank you.

© 2023 Fay McClurg

Fay’s writing has consisted of heartfelt letters to friends and family, journals, eulogies of loved ones, and essays in high school English class. A year ago she happily discovered Guided Autobiography as a way to capture some of her life stories. Fay is a social worker in Madison, Wisconsin, where she raised her family.