The 8th of March
International Women’s Day falls on the 8th of March every year. For some of us, we are grateful that such a day exists, giving us an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the women in our lives. For others, however, we question the existence of such a day. It is unfortunate that we still need a day to be acknowledged, to be celebrated and to feel special. This day, when others let us know that we could, perhaps, be equal one day. This day, when we remind ourselves to keep fighting to be equals.
It is safe to say that Women’s Day has gained more recognition, and is being ‘celebrated’ by both men and women over the years. Just to clarify, celebration here refers to making a photo collage of the women in your life and joining the Instagram bandwagon, inserting multiple hashtags such as #girlpower, #bestrong, #feminist. But, of course, we wouldn’t even have wished our mothers or sisters a “Happy Women’s Day”, like every other birthday/anniversary. How unfortunate is it that our means of celebration has been limited to social media instead of experiencing genuine emotions and feelings with ‘real’ people?
Let’s face it: our world is pretty meninist. The notion that women are ‘nothing’ without men has been entrenched in our minds, across generations that even till today, women still feel inferior or incapable. Spelling wise, yes, women without men might be a ‘wo’(woe). But that’s not the case. Women are just as capable as men, no ifs, ands, or buts required.
It is rather unfortunate that I only get the opportunity to write about the loving, beautiful creatures God has gifted the planet with on this one day dedicated to them.
However, it is never too late to say a little thank you.
To the mother who nurtured her child with love and milk; who saw her child take his first steps; whose heart skipped a beat when he fell; who stayed up all night; giving moral support as he burnt the midnight oil; who constantly nagged (and still nags) at him for not eating three proper meals (when she herself is trying to follow a diet regiment she found off Facebook); who is the biggest critic and the greatest pillar of support— thank you.
To the grandmother who brought her grandchildren to the playground every day; who hand-knits soft Cashmere sweaters and scarves for them despite her trembling hands; who cooks the most sumptuous meals, and who always ensured that everyone in the family returned home with a full stomach; who raised her grandchildren like they were her own— thank you.
To the sister who is constantly competing to win the “Best Daughter” award; who has nailed the art of “Making a puppy dog face” to get away from doing household chores (which surprisingly works every, single time); who is the spoilt brat of the house; who tricks her siblings into hazardous cooking experiments and escapes halfway when the pots and pans catch fire; who loves unconditionally— thank you.
To the friend who has specialized skills in pinpointing others’ mistakes and making them feel terrible about themselves; who claims she knows everything about anything and cooks up stupid stories to prove you wrong; who pesters you to help her click multiple #ootd shots, out of which none would turn out Instagram-worthy enough to her; who constantly pushes you to break your boundaries; who celebrates your success like her own— thank you.
To the woman who plays various different roles in her life and executes each one of them with grace and dignity— thank you.
Instead of celebrating International Women’s Day, let us start celebrating women every day.