Since our topic is “women emerging courageous” let’s look at the lives of women – our weaker sex (even though we girls know that’s not true, don’t we?). Young mothers are a good example of this common everyday courage. In spite of horror tales about giving birth, young women fearful or not go forth right into pregnancy all smiles. I’m sure they experience a little panic now and then – I do remember - , but they rely on courage……………………
Jumping ahead, we see a young mother unbuckling a baby from a car seat, gathering up two others in the car and bravely marching forth into the grocery, the doctor, the library – wherever. She has chosen to stay home with these adorable, demanding little people. Taking care of small children’s needs for food, for learning, for comfort every day is no easy task. This young mother probably had a very active social life and perhaps a nice job but now she has chosen this job – rewarding to be sure but basically a much harder one than she anticipated. Common every day courage…………………….
Looking at the other side of the coin we see the many young women who go off to work each day leaving their children in daycare or preschool or with sitters. Some of these women work and have careers by choice and some are single parents who have no choice. Either way it takes grit and courage……………
Or take a single old or young woman whose mother is ill – cannot care for herself – cannot live alone. She leaves a good job and social life and moves in to care for her mother. Maybe she has brothers and sisters, all with families of their own. The task falls to her as she “doesn’t have the ties of a family”. We see her being the caregiver day in and day out. Maybe the others come and relieve her often, but the daily care is her burden. Doing this takes lots of courage……
Today we see many grandmothers raising their grandchildren – some with the grandfather’s help but many alone. She is usually burdened with a low income as well. Perhaps the parent has just left for whatever reason leaving the grandmothers to feed, clothe and nurture these children - completing the cycle the second time. My, what fortitude, what persevering courage……………
And what about abuse? Many women are subject to verbal and physical abuse from the men in their lives. It’s a proven fact that this is a very hard cycle to break. The women who are successful in getting away have much courage – in getting away as well as trying to make a better life for themselves and often their children. Fearful, teeth clinching courage…………………….
And, finally, we look at the many women whose spouses are ill in various stages. She must care for his needs as well as her own and, harder still, watch his decline – day to day courage. And when he is gone, she faces a very different life. She adjusts and usually gives of herself to her church, civic duties and to her children – courageously to the last……………
There are many other scenarios I could describe that show the courage of women. Here I have touched on only a few, and, since we are limited to “women emerging courageous”, the subject of men and their everyday courage has not been discussed at all. These we will save for another time and another article.
July 23, 2003
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