Congratulations, Ladies....

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day.  Celebrating women internationally became officially slated for March 8 (not that we shouldn’t celebrate women every day of the year) because of a factory fire that happened in New York City, in 1857. On March 8, 1857, textile workers (all women) at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York went on strike and occupied the factory to claim their rights as workers and ask for a reduction from a 16-hour to a 10-hour workday. Even with these 16 hours a day, they still earned a third of the salary that their male counterparts earned. Upon occupying the building, women were locked inside and the building was set a blaze, cremating 130 women who simply wanted their work to be considered worthy of proper pay. Then, in 1910, at the International Women’s Conference, in Norway, Clara Zetkin proposed the installation of an International Women’s Day to honor all that women do to fight for their rights and to make the world a more just and loving place.

Suffice to say, that here in Brazil, this is a big day. No matter what social realm you may find yourself in, whether the School of Theology or in a secular social movement, middle class, working class, center of town, or outskirts of town, black, white, mixed, old, young, lesbian, straight, women throughout Brazil are hearing the word, “Parabéns”. When I received my first “Congratulations” this morning, I was taken aback. “For what?” I almost asked. “It’s not my birthday”. (“Congratulations” is also what they say on your birthday). When I realized what they were saying, I suddenly felt different. A big smile spread across my face. It’s not every day that someone tells you “Congratulations” for being a woman. My first thought might even have been, “Don’t congratulate me. I had nothing to do with it. I was born this way.” But upon deeper reflection, there is much to congratulate women for. So women, today I tip my hat to you (us) and say we should be congratulated for:

Being intellects. Showing us that our brains are capable of being stretched and challenged. Calling us to not shy away from our brilliance in an effort to accommodate others’ insecurities.

Being storytellers. For refusing to remain silent and insisting that history is not just the story of the prominent, the powerful, the dominant.

Being Theologians. For reminding us that God is not male! God is wisdom embodied. God is Spirit. God is Mother as well as Father.

Being Pastors. For opening up and fighting for space in the body of Christ for women to exercise their gifts and abilities.  

Being Fighters. To show us that being a woman doesn’t mean being frail or submissive. It doesn’t mean letting your voice go unheard when you know you have something important to say but think you won’t be heard.

Being Lovers. To encourage all of us to embrace our sexuality and our body. To have the freedom to feel pleasure and not feel guilty about it. To give us the power to reclaim the image in which we were made, and cast off the images of perfection that we feel are necessary in order to be loved.

Being Revolutionaries. For fighting and giving their lives for the rights and privileges that I don’t even think twice about enjoying today.

Being Sisters and Friends and Confidants. For showing us it is okay to be fragile, to make mistakes, and to offer the never ending non judgmental ear for us to unload on.

Being Childless. For showing us that our womanhood goes way past our reproductive organs. For showing those who are not able to have children that not being a mother makes you no less of a woman.

Being mothers and professionals. For balancing two worlds, for finding solutions and answers for everyone around them, including bosses, partners and children.

Being stay at home moms- for embracing such a tough job that comes with so little recognition and so many stereotypes.

Being multi-colored. Reminding us that the color of our skin does matter. Not as a marker of our worth but to remind us where we have come from, and that just because our skin color is different than the other doesn’t mean that we as women don’t have valuable things to share, to teach, and to offer. That we might come to love the color of our skin, the texture of our hair, the sway of our hips, and learn to embrace and be proud of all that our ancestry has given us. 

In short, women need to be congratulated for being women! Its not an easy job to do. But somebody has got to do it, and to all the women that have crossed my path, you do it with such grace and love and strength and you inspire me. As a woman, I have to say you- sisters, mothers, daughters, lovers, fighters, revolutionaries- you inspire me to be all the woman I can be. I am honored to call myself one of you.