"At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life."

Found in the plurality opinion of Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade (1973) and a woman's constitutional right to choose, this statement is also central to the ongoing abortion debate in this country. 

Most anti-choice activists oppose abortion on moral or religious grounds, claiming that life begins at conception and that all life is sacred.  Pro-choice activists at times revert to rebuking this claim rather that holding to the basic truth of the Roe decision.  The whole point is that it doesn't matter when life begins.  What matters is that each invididual has the right to privacy and thus to individual freedom of choice, in this case over her own body and over her own concept of life affording her the right to continue or terminate a pregnancy.  

Everyone has a different story and it is unreasonable (besides being unconstututional) to expect an entire nation to conform to one concept of what life is and should be, of what kinds of choices are acceptable and which ones aren't. 

As I've grown into adulthood, I've learned that abortion is something that touches all of us.  And not usually the debate around it, but its reality, whether or not we choose to face it. 
Our grandmothers knew women who died as a result of self induced abortion before Roe.  Once the right was afforded, our mothers and aunts had abortions to delay having children until they were ready, to escape abusive marriages, or to prevent the growth of their families in economic hardship.  Our sisters and friends have faced tough decisions when other birth control methods have failed and sacrificing a planned future is deemed an impossibility. 

I've found that as a woman, I often think of these difficult decisions and what I would do if faced with them.  Without Roe, I would not be afforded the right to evaluate what I am or am not capable of as an individual or what would be best for me.  I would be forced to choose between an unwanted pregnancy and an unsafe abortion which could very well take my life or ability to ever bear children.

But thankfully, this is not the case.  Through eight years of frightening attacks on reproductive health and rights, my right to decide what is the right choice for me has survived.  While we have a great deal of work to do to ensure that this is a right that is actually enjoyed in practice by all Americans, the space to make that postive change has been preserved.

So, happy birthday Roe v. Wade. This day is cause to celebrate 36 years of reproductive freedom and a new president who is committed to protecting this essential liberty to define one's own concept of being.  For this, I am incredibly grateful.