This blog should appear either late on International Women’s Day or early the next morning. That’s okay because celebrations should last longer than the day assigned to them.
And with that in mind I share a couple of stories and some thoughts on International Women’s Day and Women’s Month.
Earlier this week, I had a class of girls in the library. The lesson was about recognition of women’s accomplishments. I told them how, within my lifetime, things taken for granted today weren’t a possibility when I was their age.
Mouths dropped, eyes popped wide, and gasps filled the air when I told them that once upon a time, women couldn’t have credit cards.
We watched an Edpuzzle interactive video celebrating scientists, politicians, astronauts, politicians….you see where this is going. Just in case, I’ll say it. Women have pushed the barriers to accomplish a lot, opening the doors for those who follow behind them.
Then I asked them about a woman they could look up to.
The room went silent, and the spokesperson personality for the class said, “I can’t think of one.”
I asked, “What about your mother?”
Their eyes darted between the video that had been paused and back to me.
I asked, “Who encourages you to keep trying?”
They all agreed their mothers had done that for them.
Then I explained that all the women in the videos were representative of the faces of many who worked toward something they believed in but didn’t gain notoriety.
We talked about how problems weren’t so big when mom told us how to fix them, or gave us a hug when we cried, or snuck us a piece of chocolate she had tucked away in her purse.
What I wanted them to understand was that while the big names were celebrated, the unseen gestures deserved just as much applause.
I thought the lesson was done. Today I learned there is more to share with my students. (I am so glad this is women’s month)
A flight to San Antonio is responsible for the timing of this blog. I’d written two others but didn’t post them. They were good, but didn’t feel right–something was missing. Today, I found the missing element in the lesson.
Actually , a woman on the flight from Montana to Denver helped me find it.
It was time for Randy and I to depart the plane to catch a connecting flight from Denver to San Antonio. There was a line of people in the aisle. I planned on waiting for them to pass.
The time between the flights was tight, our connection was at the end of a completely different gate. We knew we would have to run to make it. We had a choice: push our way into the line or wait. Randy and I are the wait, and we’ll run to make up the time kind of people.
This woman, not knowing how close Randy and I were cutting it to make our flight, said she’d save a spot for us to cut in.
She’d save us a spot.
In a world where people take pride in getting ahead, she saved us a spot.
(For inquiring minds. Randy and I made our flight with just a couple of minutes to spare)
That lesson I had passed on to the girls… I forgot to tell them that women have the gift of finding ways of supporting others.
That is what this day and this month is about.
For years women have inspired each other. It’s been through gestures, words of encouragement, and occasionally feats that break through the glass ceiling, This day is about saying I see those great things you’re doing.
And now, I am excited to go back to class and add the “But wait, there’s more” to this celebration.
I’ll close this week’s note by reminding you to celebrate. You fulfilled that promise to yourself and took a walk. You comforted the child or friend or companion who seemed inconsolable. You inspired someone to keep trying. You made someone’s day better just by being you. Whatever the reason, remember this is your time to recognize your contribution to your world while celebrating the great women in your life.