I didn’t know it existed until I opened up Google. That is unfortunate.
Do I get a present today?
Do I have to give presents today?
How old do you have to be celebrated on this day?
Are there 364 International Men’s Days?
I think we deserve more than one day. Maybe a giant festival. Perhaps something akin to Lilith fair, but grander?
Do we women get a day off? If we did, would the world come to a grinding halt?
In all seriousness, this day is prompting me to remember the women I admired growing up. Helen Keller, Rosalind Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Lisa Ling, and Nancy Drew -was she a woman or a girl? I am not sure- to name a few.
Who are role models for the young women of today? Though we are increasingly connected by computer, we are less connected in our communities. As a result, the people who make the greatest impression on young girls are people in the media. If what I have encountered on TV is any indication, that would be teenage moms, young women from New Jersey who love to tan and drink, wealthy housewives who habitually spend money, and actresses who get a slap on the wrist for drug abuse and drunk driving. Entertaining? Perhaps. Poor representation of women? Yes.
Today is a great day for every woman to think outside of herself and her nuclear family and really consider a way to make an impact on the impressionable soon-to-be-women in our communities and in the world. It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. As creative, social, resilient, and nurturing beings, women need to embrace and hone these traits for success in the future.
Teach young girls about the amazing women who inspired you. Be one of those amazing women.
Pulsus 