Educational Resource
Life Issues article by Theresa Notare (2005)
Life Issues Forum article, "The Importance of Being a Cheerleader," by Theresa Notare, MA
Everybody needs a cheerleader. We all need someone who can give us encouragement when we feel like giving up, who can remind us of who we are when we want to “sell out,” who can even “carry” us a bit when we just can’t go on. In life, having a cheerleader is important to our well being. The sick and the suffering are in special need of cheerleaders.
When serious suffering hits one’s life, it is like an internal emotional earthquake. It is all the person can think of. Whether that suffering is news of a terminal illness or a “crisis” pregnancy, it can drag you into terrible darkness and be destructive – or it can be uplifting and transformative. My run-in with the limits of my own body has made me more aware of this. I have found myself thinking about the necessity of really “loving thy neighbor,” of being a support for others.
Theresa Notare is the Assistant Director of the Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning, Pro-Life Secretariat, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.