Today, being pro-life is like calling yourself a Catholic just because your parents were Catholic and forced you to receive your first Communion and Confirmation.

You technically are Catholic, but since you are not a practicing Catholic, it changes the meaning of the term. Accordingly, I confess that I have not been a practicing pro-lifer. Yes, I have attended several marches, prayed outside abortion clinics, and defended my view against abortion (mostly online) whenever I get the chance.

But does that make me completely pro-life? No.

Our society and church have put most of the emphasis on saving unborn children (which is incredibly necessary) and on preventing euthanasia (which is incredibly important), but has forgotten a crucial part of the motto: "Respect life from conception to natural death." In this motto, the word "to" represents all people going through the stages of living in the womb to almost living in the tomb.

The problem is that we have forgotten to follow up.

We are considerate when it comes to the current problem, but we fail to comprehend that when helping someone one time is not enough. A followup is needed. We are failing to follow up with people after they are born, and we do not remember to call back until they are connected to tubes ready to be taken off life support, too weak to pick up the phone.

The reasons I list below, therefore, are reasons why I haven't been a practicing pro-lifer, but why I want to make an effort to practice what I have been preaching. This is a call to every other person with the same views to be ready to step up their game if they are going to call themselves pro-life.

1. I am not supportive enough to mothers after giving birth to their child.

Whenever one finds out about a pregnancy, planned or unplanned, the first ones to rush to congratulate and support the expectant mother are the pro-lifers. They promise to be there for the mother and convince her to either keep the baby or lovingly put it up for adoption.

When the baby is born, people are still supportive, and the church donates baby supplies and diapers. But what next?

When the baby is one year old, the mother no longer has that support system. Also, many times, people are judgmental of teen girls who are pregnant, but what they don't realize is that being pregnant means they chose life. So many other teens are having sex, but they don't get shamed because they either "got lucky" or got an abortion.

How to improve: Let's offer to babysit these kids for free so mothers can get some rest. Continue to support them after the baby is born. Let's not forget about them. Let's not be judgmental whenever we see a pregnant girl, but rather be full of joy and congratulate her!

2. I have not made a big enough effort to fight against suicide.

Did you know that around 20 million people attempt suicide per year?

This is a problem that is never talked about. It could be your son, friend, coworker, or neighbor. We really don't know what people are struggling with. Why do we not make a bigger deal about this? Why are there not programs at schools and churches or marches just like there are for abortions?

We have to let people know that life is worth living, that everyone has a purpose. That life is full of suffering, but you can use those sufferings to create something beautiful. This is an issue that needs to be brought to light, and we are the generation that has to do it.

It is difficult to talk about and hard to understand if you are neurotypical, but why aren't we doing something about it? There are 1.2 million abortions per year, but 20 million attempted suicides!

We could be saving so many people by developing programs, being more understanding, and surrounding these people who are hurting with love and support.

How to improve: Volunteer at a suicide hotline, and talk to friends who are struggling with mental illness or hard situations. Let's be there to support them.

Let's also be supportive to the families that have lost a loved one due to suicide. It is an extremely hard loss because everyone labels them as being selfish for having ended their lives and causing pain to the people left behind, but that's not the truth.

Most people who commit suicide were hurting so much that they just wanted to get rid of the pain. We have to come up with other solutions and help each other. Let's start marches against suicide or start support groups for sad people. I want to see a change—we need to see a change!

3. I do not pay enough attention to special needs kids and persons.

I love and respect people who are different from me, but is that enough? Many times we feel bad for people with special needs, and we treat them differently.

Granted, they deserve special treatment because they cannot do things the same way you and I do, but it does not mean they should be treated any differently when interacting with them. I feel like we all lack in this area.

Many times we are afraid to look their way because they will think we are judging them, but it's OK to look. It's OK to approach them and ask them how they are doing, to befriend them. Let's not be scared!

How to improve: Let's stop saying, "I do not care if it is a boy or a girl as long as it is healthy." Saying that signifies that if the baby is not healthy, its life is worthless.

Parents of children with special needs will gladly tell you that their lives have been made better by their special needs child. When approaching someone with a disability, talk to them and ask them questions instead of looking at the caregiver. Many of these people can answer for themselves.

If they do not respond, then look at the caregiver, but we have to acknowledge that they are worth exactly the same as us, and they deserve to be loved and cared for and to have fun. Let's offer to babysit these kids as well or take somebody with special needs to the mall or to the movies. Let's become friends with them. We have a lot to learn.

4. I do not pray or think about prisoners.

There are 2.2 million incarcerated people in the U.S. alone.

I know that most of these people deserve to be punished for their actions, but they also deserve to have someone to think about them and pray for them. We often forget they exist. Even though they did despicable things, their lives are still precious. We are called to oppose the death penalty, but we are also called to think and pray for them because they are our brothers and sisters as well.

Many people who are in prison have also been convicted wrongly.

How to improve: We should pray for the conversion of their souls. Let's "adopt" a prisoner and send them letters. They deserve to talk to someone once in a while. Let's do prison ministry and talk to them about God. I am sure many of them have never even heard of him.

Let's be aware that even though they made bad decisions, God forgives them, and surprisingly loves them the same amount as he loves you and me.

5. I do not visit my grandmother often enough.

How many of you are guilty of this as well? In the old days, elders were treated with the utmost respect, but in this century, and especially in the U.S., seniors are shipped off to nursing homes and forgotten.

They raised children, had exciting lives, worked hard, and helped society, but yet they are in a home with no visitors. We also forget about our grandparents and then regret not talking to them soon after they die. My grandmother is sick, and I do not visit her enough.

It really would not take that much effort, but I usually choose to stay at home and binge on Netflix instead of paying her a visit.

How to improve: Visit your grandparents! Call them, or send them a letter. Let's also volunteer at nursing homes, talk to the people there and learn from them. We have to be patient with them, too. Let's teach them how to use an iPad or some new sort of technology. They did not have the privilege of growing up with the type of devices we have today, and we are often impatient with them. This is not fair.

I will continue to call myself pro-life because I do not want to cause confusion in our complex society, but only under the grounds that I am promising to become a practicing pro-lifer because I have a desire to be completely honest and only preaching what I believe and practice. And you should, too.