Today is International Women’s Day. I have seen a million beautiful images to celebrate the day. It makes me smile seeing so many celebrating today. It also makes me sad that we still need the celebration. It makes me sad that throughout the world (and at home in the US) there are so many ways that women are still told we are less.
I don’t want to ROAR. I don’t want to focus on the fact that women still for the most part don’t receive equal pay. I don’t want to discuss that Congress is left to decide our faith when it comes to medical procedures. I don’t even want to begin to discuss how the burden of proof in rape or domestic violence cases falls heavy on the head of the victim (whom is predominantly a woman).
I want to instead acknowledge that the strength of a woman is unparalleled. I want to thank every woman who has ever held her friends hand through a crisis (no matter how insignificant the crisis was). Through life, death, highs and lows. Through choosing outfits, jobs, schools and lovers we all have helped one of our friends along the way. We all have been helped along the way.
I want to acknowledge every mother that has birthed her child into this world and watched them grow up along with the fears that go with motherhood. I want to acknowledge every woman who has birthed a child and placed that child in the arms of another to be it’s mother. I want to acknowledge every woman that planned to bring a child home but for some twisted hand of fate had to say goodbye to that child before she said hello. I want to acknowledge every woman that has ever had to love and care for a child then bury that child too early. I want to acknowledge every woman that learned she was pregnant and knew that it was not time for her to be a mother so made a decision she would relive every day. I want to acknowledge every woman that knew that motherhood was not her path and took precautions along the way. Your choices and experiences will never be any but your own yet you are part of the web that makes up motherhood. It feels lonely at time but the strength you pull upon comes from a collective state. It stems from our mothers and their mother and their mothers going back in time to the very beginning.
I want to acknowledge every woman that has ever tried. It doesn’t matter what it is that you have tried. All that matters is that you did. I applaud your bravery, your courage and your tenacity.
I want to acknowledge all of the little girls that are going to grow up in this world. I challenge you man and woman to make the world they are growing up in a more beautiful place. I challenge you to make it a more fair place. I challenge you to make it a safer place.
