My reluctant journey to womanhood
IWD -Daisy Chain Flower Crown ... Special thanks to ShelterBox USA and the work they are doing in Gaza where 85% of the population is in temporary shelters
Back then … WAY back then, there weren’t many options and fewer role models.
I wore jeans, climbed trees, played softball while other girls were playing jacks, gave my dolls to my mother to babysit, and hated my first bra. Somehow, I knew it was a man’s world. I wanted a job, independence, freedom, adventure.
My resistance to being a woman continued into adulthood. When the clock started ticking, I didn’t believe I could “have it all,” so I kept working and avoided babies. I liked being around men who were doing things and snarked at recipes, hair salons, and spa days.
So, now, here I am in love with my life as an elder, (b)older woman. Our tribulations, our amazing bodies, our spirits … I embrace all of it … all of me and finally, thanks to Substack, thanks to living long enough for wisdom to arrive, I hear my life mantra whispering …
live what you love and make a difference.
There is still inequality in the world … for women, for definition expanders, for people of color, for the poor. Each of these groups holds gifts for our world and I want to spend the rest of my time in this incarnation, amplifying those gifts, especially the ones who, too often, are not heard.
Last night I had the privilege of attending a special Women’s Day celebration hosted by ShelterBox, USA, whose prime directive is providing shelter in times of disaster or violence. When homes are destroyed, the first requirement is shelter and the work that ShelterBox does around the world is incredible. One of the many places they are working is in Gaza.
“Up to 1.9 million people are displaced in Gaza– that’s 85% of the population with no choice but to shelter in community buildings like schools, makeshift shelters, or out in the open. There is severe overcrowding and disease is spreading. People don’t have what they need to protect themselves or their families from the harsh winter weather.
Items like tarpaulins and rope will help people repair damaged buildings and make shelters watertight. Blankets, mattresses, pillows, and groundmats will help people stay warm. We are also providing hygiene kits (diapers, toothbrushes, and sanitary items), water carriers, and kitchen sets. Vital items for people with no belongings and unable to return home.
ShelterBox has initiated an urgent fundraising campaign to address the pressing needs in Gaza and other crisis-stricken areas globally.”
If you can help, clicking this button takes you directly to the ShelterBox site:
New Movie: Cabrini
“In America, the greatest nation on earth, rats have it better than the children of Five Points.”
“Cabrini … you would have made a good man.”
Thank you for this inclusive idea to …
Some advice from women to women:
"We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains. That's what I want--to hear you erupting. You Mount St. Helenses who don't know the power in you--I want to hear you. ... If we don't tell our truth, who will?" -- Ursula K. Le Guin
"Very often silence becomes the female drug of choice." -- Sue Monk Kidd
"If family and society tell you its unfeminine, not really womanly, to be aggressive, to speak up, to have strong opinions, to take up space, then women won't trust their own voice, because to be heard and to be influential, you've got to have a way to sing out with passion and love and self-trust - to sing out your song for everyone to hear." -- Elizabeth Lesser
And, here’s a bit more about this special day:
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. Spurred by the universal female suffrage movement, IWD originated from labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century.
Theme for International Women’s Day 2024:
Invest in women: Accelerate progress.
Thank you so much for sharing, such beautiful quotes and important words to honour IWD. Xx
here’s to [B]old Women on IWD and any day! https://debbieweil.substack.com/p/calling-all-bold-women-please-introduce