Day 194 or International Women's Day -- Belated

So on Monday, I was lost in the world of this little woman and somehow missed that it was a day for Women of This World. I missed a day dedicated to celebrating the contribution of women especially in war-ravaged countries like Rwanda and Congo. A day that thousands of women met on the Brooklyn Bridge and UK's Millennium Bridge. A day that said as women we have the power to shape hearts and minds for peace. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I missed it. So red-faced, I come to you two days later to tell you what I would have said.

I would have said that I have seen the power of caring women demonstrated through the generations of women that raised me. My mother is braver than she knows. She taught me right from wrong and as a Southerner taught me that God truly did create all people and to judge someone solely one their actions not their heritage. Her mother taught her that hard work mattered and she should never give up. Her grandmother taught her that life was for living and never backed away from a challenge (even one that involved a mugger but that story is for another day). These women shaped me and my world.

I would have said that I have seen the power of caring women demonstrated through this blog. How amazed I have been by the voices of women around this globe that I would never have "heard" had I not started blogging. Voices raising up their families, their cultures, their lives in a chorus that celebrates life itself. Voices that denounce ignorance, racism, and hatred, Voices that have meaning. Voices that have power. (Many of which who got the memo about Monday and spoke beautifully that day!)

I would have said that I hope to light my candle in the goal of enlightenment and peace. That I hope I am a contributor not a detractor. That I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before and I hope that my shoulders are strong enough for those who follow.

That's what I would have said. Instead I just bragged about getting my Oscar picks right. Not my finest moment. Nonetheless, today I say "yay" for women. Every woman. Everywhere.