Roaring Woman's Day
Women's Day is a thing now, I guess. The culture says I need to abstain from paid or unpaid labor and spend no money. I am being asked to only spend money in small businesses owned by women or people of color. I am asked to wear red. (Although this puzzles me. If I'm not going anywhere, who will know what I am wearing?)
Let me tell you how I will spend my day.
I will awaken, probably with my 5 year old snuggled up to me and sound asleep. She draws such comfort from being as close to me as she can. So, I will allow someone else to use my body. And I will relish it.
I will get out of bed, and be thankful for another day. I will make breakfast for myself, as my husband gets up earlier than I to eat and watch the news. After I eat, I will whip up a batch of French Toast. The kids will come down and eat and be so happy! I will work to please others, they will be thankful, and I will draw pleasure from it.
Then, I will organize the kids to pack up some books to take with us as we take one of them to see a specialist. You see, she is having several health issues, and I must take her to yet another doctor, who is not a woman, or of color, nor is the doctor's office a private, local one, but part of a large system. This appointment is too important to try to fit it into what the culture says I should. And I will be grateful for insurance, good doctors and a car to drive to appointments. I will spend yet another day chauffeuring and I will do it because it is the right thing to do.
We will come home for lunch, and I will fix something for the kids. They will be thankful and then they will take turns practicing piano. I will clean up the kitchen and put together dinner. There I go again, serving others!
The rest of the day will be spent like most afternoons: reading aloud or helping the kids with math or learning how to read. There might be some laundry to fold and some dishes to put away. We all pitch in. Sometimes it's a tough balancing act to get all this stuff done.
The oldest child will drop by for a visit and tell me all about her job in a male-dominated field and how she is thriving. I raised her to be strong and stand up for herself, but to love being a woman.
The next oldest will come home from school/work, starving hungry and I might have to clean up a few dishes after him. But he is leaving in two months, after marrying his bride-to-be, so I don't mind much. He treats her like a queen, because I raised him to be strong and manly, but gentle.
We will sit down to dinner. Everyone will eat and thank me for making dinner. The kids or my husband will clean up. Another day. Much like the one before it, and probably like the one after it.
That's how I will celebrate Women's Day. I celebrate it every day. Not by taking a day off and disappearing. Not by complaining about my life and the things that are frustrating or disappointing. Not by shunning my duties and those people that need me. Sure, we all need a break now and then, and I find moments here and there to recharge. Life is hard. Parenting is harder. Living the life of a sinner in this broken world is the hardest.
But it's a life worth celebrating.
Let me tell you how I will spend my day.
I will awaken, probably with my 5 year old snuggled up to me and sound asleep. She draws such comfort from being as close to me as she can. So, I will allow someone else to use my body. And I will relish it.
I will get out of bed, and be thankful for another day. I will make breakfast for myself, as my husband gets up earlier than I to eat and watch the news. After I eat, I will whip up a batch of French Toast. The kids will come down and eat and be so happy! I will work to please others, they will be thankful, and I will draw pleasure from it.
Then, I will organize the kids to pack up some books to take with us as we take one of them to see a specialist. You see, she is having several health issues, and I must take her to yet another doctor, who is not a woman, or of color, nor is the doctor's office a private, local one, but part of a large system. This appointment is too important to try to fit it into what the culture says I should. And I will be grateful for insurance, good doctors and a car to drive to appointments. I will spend yet another day chauffeuring and I will do it because it is the right thing to do.
We will come home for lunch, and I will fix something for the kids. They will be thankful and then they will take turns practicing piano. I will clean up the kitchen and put together dinner. There I go again, serving others!
The rest of the day will be spent like most afternoons: reading aloud or helping the kids with math or learning how to read. There might be some laundry to fold and some dishes to put away. We all pitch in. Sometimes it's a tough balancing act to get all this stuff done.
The oldest child will drop by for a visit and tell me all about her job in a male-dominated field and how she is thriving. I raised her to be strong and stand up for herself, but to love being a woman.
The next oldest will come home from school/work, starving hungry and I might have to clean up a few dishes after him. But he is leaving in two months, after marrying his bride-to-be, so I don't mind much. He treats her like a queen, because I raised him to be strong and manly, but gentle.
We will sit down to dinner. Everyone will eat and thank me for making dinner. The kids or my husband will clean up. Another day. Much like the one before it, and probably like the one after it.
That's how I will celebrate Women's Day. I celebrate it every day. Not by taking a day off and disappearing. Not by complaining about my life and the things that are frustrating or disappointing. Not by shunning my duties and those people that need me. Sure, we all need a break now and then, and I find moments here and there to recharge. Life is hard. Parenting is harder. Living the life of a sinner in this broken world is the hardest.
But it's a life worth celebrating.
Comments
Post a Comment