Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day, where we take time out to celebrate the progress women have made in their fight to become equals.

While it’s obvious we still have a way to go (89x’s Dave & Chuck the Freak featured a call discussing whether a lack of oral sex was a “dealbreaker” & WWE’s Monday Night Raw showed brash announcer Michael Cole tell the Divas “nobody cares about you” during their match) women are treated like equals for the most part. More and more women are in positions of power & given the respect they are due.

However, 10% of women are still emotionally or physically abused by their partners, which is a ridiculous statistic. In this day and age, how can people not know that disrespecting their partner is wrong. As a mother of three daughters, the thought of someone insulting or attacking their partner makes me physically ill. The shame & humiliation that stems from being called names, hit, shoved or worse is almost impossible to overcome & no amount of “I’m sorry” takes it away. Respect may be something you must earn but basic human decency is a right.

So, remember no one deserves to be abused and no one has the right to tear down others. Love is the strongest emotion & love & respect will bring the right change that can make your life better.

Everyone remember to thank a woman who shaped your life today. For me, my foster mom Suzanne Parry taught me that it was okay to aspire to be a wife & mother as well as have a career. It was okay to want to feel good about myself & set goals to make me happy & it wouldn’t make me less of a mother or a wife. So, thank you Sue, for being the standard bearer I set for parenting & marriage. I love you.