Better days

Today is International Women’s Day. I wrote about it last year here too. A day to celebrate just how far we’ve come in our progressive world. A chance to shine a light on areas where women are still treated as second rate citizens. A day to have thoughtful discussions on the benefits of female leadership in positions of power in big financial institutions, in corporations, in leading countries, in politics. A chance to enlighten people on just how hard it can be to work, be successful and be a Mother. How inflexible some workplaces make it for women juggling a career and motherhood. All of that stuff. Inspiring! Empowering day! And yet, on most days…Any chance we have to cut another fellow woman down we will.
A fellow woman will often be the first to do it.
We will judge on appearance.
On choices that people make.
On their workplace arrangements.
Their mothering ones.
What they wear.
What they say.
We will fuck our own friends husbands and carry on business as usual.
We will write vitriol online about each other.
We will cut down someones success.
Heaven forbid someone gets ahead or too far up their own arse.
We will suspect ulterior motives.
We will be led by fear mongering of the media and by males.
Our own worst enemies.

I’m a little disillusioned today. It’s been that kind of a week. It’s always easy to focus on the negatives, rather than all the good that is around, and of course there is that. So much of that. There’s always a friend ready to make you feel better. To make a small gesture that can mean so much. A sister to call you, and make you laugh. Another sister to make fun of you in a silly way. A Mother who knows the exact right way to make you feel loved and safe and secure. A child who will make you feel like the most important person in the world. A stranger taking time out of their busy lives, to say something nice, just because they want to. A mentor encouraging you to reach for the stars, aim high and stay strong. A role model, near or far to look up to. Yes, they are always there. It’s time to focus on them for a change.

Happy day to you fellow women. I hope today is a good day for you. Let’s try and make them better for each other. Every day.

Comments

  1. Happy lady day to you too! x

  2. Yep women sure have to be strong to survive in this here old world. But the challenges, whilst unpleasant, only make the victories all the more sweet.

    I think alot of our ‘problems’, when held up against women in third world countries are nothing at all.

    Happy International Womens’ Day to you too.
    Carolyn

  3. Anonymous says

    Bloody hell Beth, I and most of the women I choose to spend time with wouldn’t do most of the above. We are feminists and today is a day of celebration and calls to action.

  4. Amen sister. May you have a lovely weekend. xxx

  5. Traci Sparkle Devlin says

    Happy lady day to YOU x

  6. Happy day to you too Beth.

    I learned long ago the type of woman I wanted to be…and I am lucky in that I have found a group of like minded women to call my friends.
    Thank you for the reminder that I should thank them an tell them I love them.

  7. It makes me sad that women, are the biggest bullies to other women. Now if only we would stop and take a look at what women have to go through in third world countries then maybe, just maybe, we would not be so obsessed over hurting each other.

    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

  8. xxxx
    h

  9. Happy womens day to you too! I agree, why can’t we all accept each other & support each other? Why be at each other like logger heads? That makes life tiring & takes the pleasure out of each day that we should be able to enjoy.

  10. TOTALLY!Women rock.. we just never tell each other enough πŸ™‚

    Happy Lady day to you also.. try squeeze in a run and blow away a that kinds week x

  11. I am lucky that the women in my life are pretty damn amazing. And today I feel proud that I’ve given birth to a little lady, who at 21 months is already brave, determined and beautiful. With two older brothers she will grow up thinking there’s nothing that girls can’t do.
    Focus on the good women in your life Beth, those others aren’t even worth talking about πŸ™‚

  12. I’m thankful for the beautiful women in my life … you’re one of them, Beth x

  13. Such a good post. xx

  14. Happy day Beth. I have been disillusioned by things online this week – and it’s good you’ve been up front with the way women have been behaving.
    You inspired me to write a post (albeit in the train this morning) about the great women in my life.
    Ps – I saw that scarf of yours from Witchery the other day, in purple though. I have to have it πŸ˜‰

  15. Anonymous says

    Not the same anonymous as first entry…
    I love the sisterhood, I have birthed two for the future, I look to my sisters raising boys and they have a v v important job too, so that our girls can forge ahead equally with all the good work that has already been done by the likes of my mother and aunts (and actually my father too)
    I am sending you some optimism

  16. Thanks for this post Beth. You’re one of the women who is a magnificent exception to all of the above and I for one love you so much for that πŸ™‚ Happy Women’s Day dear. Chin up, you’re beautiful and you have a beautiful family, and you advance the cause of women everywhere – just for being you! Here’s to good women xx

  17. Happy Women’s Day Beth. How lucky are we to be raising women ourselves? A responsibility and a joy to be cherished every day xox

  18. Here here Sista, nicely said and so much truth in it too. My two motto’s I try and live by are; Speak about someone as if they are in the room with you AND If you don’t have anything nice to say then ZIP THE LIP! When I look back at the times I’ve been cut deep it’s always been at the voice of a woman. I guess that’s the beauty of getting older, you can choose to surround yourself with people that fill your bucket. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past 4 years & meeting people like you, Miss Miss has been wonderful. HAPPY STRONG INDEPENDENT, CARING, LOVING AND SUPPORTIVE WOMENS’DAY BETH xoxoxo

  19. Happy International Women’s Day Beth. Was it Madeleine Albright who said there is a very special place in hell for women who don’t help each other? Jen

  20. Thank you BabyMac – and to you a Happy International Women’s Day. A great post.

  21. Amen xx

  22. Well said
    xx

  23. Hang on!!! Whose husband are you *******? Wow, must have completely misread that post….

  24. Great post. Nice reminder to surround ourselves with people who lift us up and be the person who lifts others up.

  25. I refuse to be around those type of women and I also refuse to let it slide by. From now on “How very DARE you” shall be the first words out of my mouth at one woman criticising another. Sheesh, if we can’t support each other…

    Luckily I have found my tribe of fabulous, supportive, feminist friends. I only hope I can teach my daughter to do the same.

    xx

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