August 26th, 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified, and gave women the right to vote and now August 26th is known as Women Equality Day.
Unfortunately, this is a day that I have not really celebrated and known about all my life.
I’ve known/learned about the 19th Amendment, but it was never really celebrated or glamorized in the form that I really think it should be.
Now I am reminded about the strong women who fought and worked, just so women who were not alive yet would be given the right to vote, and equality.
As a widowed mom, raising three boys, I question my strength and abilities to just get through a day.
Let’s be honest….being a woman is hard and being a single mother can really take a toll on me, emotionally and physically. I have found that I have to take on two roles with my sons. I am their mother and trust me, boys LOVE their mommas! I am truly blessed to have these boys and their love and help. But, I also feel that I need to show them how to be men.
Yes, I discuss manners (quite often….boys need reminders), and how to treat girls/women. What I have difficulty with is showing them how to take care of things that my husband would normally do. I’m talking about home and car maintenance. I realize these are very miniscule achievements compared to women fighting for equal rights and voting privileges, but showing my boys that I can accomplish tasks without asking for help or paying someone to do it for me, is like winning an Olympic gold medal.
A couple of months ago my sprinkler system quit working. Getting someone to come look at it took a long time due to such high demand. So long, I expected my HOA to fine me because my yard was looking terrible. He was so kind and understanding. Instead of charging me more than I could afford, he told me what to buy and that I can install it myself. I honestly had my doubts. I did it. I ordered the system he told me about, for five times less than what he was charging. Then read the directions and followed them perfectly. I installed a sprinkler control system, and it works! I didn’t even have to watch youtube videos to complete it.
I installed something and fixed a problem that I know a couple of years ago I could have never done. I did this in front of my sons. I showed them that they are able to take care of things themselves and I also showed them that women are more than capable of accomplishing anything.
When I begin to question my capabilities, I remember that many women before me have been through so much more and made it. I also know that women can accomplish anything and we are so much stronger than we initially believe.
We are strong, smart, and equal and we need to continue to show everyone what we are capable of.
