Dear Sofia, my little granddaughter,
Yes woman’s day is also for you, as you are born a little baby girl…a woman to be, so happy woman to be day for you my little darling
You might ask why do we celebrate a woman’s day…and not a men’s day ? It’s true, this could be a good question. Someone said jokingly…364 days are men’s day, 1 day is woman’s day….hm hm …what to
say to this…hm hm
I am a celebrating one, I enjoy celebrations, so for me it is all the better if we have an occasion to celebrate the unique qualities of woman in this world!
Because our qualities are unique
and just like men’s qualities are unique. We ARE the world together with all living beings,
In Vietnam woman’s day is a big thing! Flowers are sold on the streets everywhere. In offices, many work contexts ladies get the royal
treatment, they get invited to restaurant, they do not have to do the cleaning, cooking etc on this day…
Yes Sofia you do not know this yet, but traditionally women did most of the household scores, like cleaning washing, looking
after the children, taking care of the household. Your grandparents and parents generation are the first generations where men and woman share this kind of work more and more as your grand ma and your mother both are working “outside” their home
and can not do all these so important tasks alone.
Your mother is working as a doctor, looking after many ill children, me, your grandma, I work for children with special needs and so it is necessary for your father and grandfather
to participate in all these life giving tasks.
You don’t know it that well yet, but woaw does your grandpa cook well!!!! Hmmmm and he loves to do it! Before only few men helped with cooking at home, but your uncle Tonton Nath and
your dad, your grandpa and your brothers are really good cooks!
Isn’t it great when we all come together and all members of the family join in to prepare a good meal together (and clean it afterwards together) , this truly is happiness!
Your father and grandfather also take very well care of you small and young members of the family! They can cradle you, play with you, feed you, care for you, give you a bath, look after you when you are sick,just as well as your mom or grandma!
They also share the task of cleaning our homes so that we feel cosy and well at home. Before all this was mainly done by women alone! When you and your brothers have played and have made quite a mess, it is you and your two brothers
that clean up...right? They would even do it for you as you are still small!
There were also tasks that only men did before, that now are also done by women, like earning money, Unfortunately women still earn about 20% less than men for
the same work, but I guess when you’ll be a young woman this will be history!
I also hope it will be history when you grow older, these work “attitudes”, work “arrangements” that have been established by and
for men: stupid work hours that don’t fit with family life and small children, work “outside of the home” as the only dominating and valued work, career oriented choices that are “against” children and family life where you have
to sacrifice one for the other, and this stupid overworking as a virtue!
I also hope it will be history, the violence that some men impose on women. Poor men! Some have been brought up (by their mothers by the way) with this very unfortunate and
wrong attitude that they can dominate women, that they are superior and that they have the right to impose their will on women, that women are there to serve them. How much suffering must be in these men to live in such a wrong attitude, they must feel so
lonely, so misunderstood, so lost as this is absolutely a wrong view. How could this ever be! Look at your brothers, your father, your grandfathers, uncle,...look at your mother, grandmother, aunts, your cousin Naomi...we are all human beings together on the
path of life. There never could be a domination between us! Why should there be? I hope this will really be history when you will be a young woman, and that no man will harm another man or woman...I guess this might still take some time but we'll get there
eventually!
Men and woman are different and yet totally the same! There is only one UNDERSTANDING COMPASSION JOY LOVE AND FREEDOM for all of us
Men and women alike need to rethink and reorganize the working and family life and bring it
in balance with a rich life of true partnership and plenty of love and joy!
All these traditionally “female tasks” are actually the ones that make our life a HAPPY LIFE and are what makes our life a good life: creating a nice,
clean, warm home, being cared for, being educated for life, being well fed, being well dressed in clean clothes, enjoying warm and kind care for each other, being with family and friends, playing together…
Isn’t it great that
men can at last be part of these life giving activities !
So soon I guess we’ll introduce a men’s day…to celebrate their joy that they can at last cook, clean, care for a baby, decorate a home, play, do yoga and all
sorts of nice things …and enjoy being a fiull human being!