Ooooh… this has seriously got my attention and for such important reasons. I love that you have delved in and brought the history of the day to the forefront and it really does make it feel even more important to honour it. I have always felt a bit unsure of the day because it tends to just end up with big companies jumping on it for a sales opportunity… but of course I couldn’t resist the urge to create virtual circle on here. I love that so many topics and voices and important words have been shared and this is truly such a powerful piece. I am so grateful you shared it with us. X
Yes 🙌🏻 this post is so important, despite it not being what you intended to write! Aside from the statistics that EVERYONE should know and take in, I just love the phrase “I was too busy being a woman”
This just encapsulates this all so perfectly, both in the fact that we’re too busy trying to keep up that we ironically don’t have time to ‘celebrate’ our own holiday but also that you were out there living your own life and that’s a beautiful thing!
My maternal grandmother (1888-1984) was a leading light in Liverpool for 'women in business' running the family business until it was blitzed in the war. The Soroptomists were founded in 1921 -- (https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/)
Joshua, this is amazing. I wasn’t at all familiar with the Soroptimist… so grateful for the link, but even more so for your grandmother.
Pulled from the history page of their website, so exactly what I was attempting to channel:
WHEN WE EMERGE FROM THIS NIGHTMARE AND THE STRUGGLE IS OVER WE MUST BE STRONGER THAN EVER TO SEE THAT ALL OUR INFLUENCE IS ON THE SIDE OF A JUST AND LASTING PEACE." the BRITISH SOROPTIMIST 1939.
I’m not sure any struggle is ever truly over, but PROGRESS is infinite.
Thank you. Yes I read that comment too on their website. As an aside I wrote a poem in her honour which is on deepundergroundpoetry.com where I have been active posting my poems since 2017. Substack is new to me. (Link to the poem by the way is: https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/393591-evelyn/). I've started posting what I now consider my 'better' poems on Substack, one a fortnight on a Sunday.
I’m so glad this particular perspective struck a couple chords for you, Lauren! Totally agree on tending to pass this one over… just another marketing ploy, and also, one day? Really??!
It certainly was a radically special circle to join a link to; I’ll never look at IWD the same way, that’s for sure. Thank you for the love you’ve brought also! 💕
Thank you, Kerry! I actually considered changing the title after posting, as I didn’t ultimately explore in the piece itself… couldn’t bring myself to change it tho, maybe there’ll be a part II!
So glad you felt the meaning with which I wrote it. 🧡
‘and died in 1984
with 96 years of astonishment on her face
that she was still alive.’
Such a quietly complex tribute. Beautiful.
Ooooh… this has seriously got my attention and for such important reasons. I love that you have delved in and brought the history of the day to the forefront and it really does make it feel even more important to honour it. I have always felt a bit unsure of the day because it tends to just end up with big companies jumping on it for a sales opportunity… but of course I couldn’t resist the urge to create virtual circle on here. I love that so many topics and voices and important words have been shared and this is truly such a powerful piece. I am so grateful you shared it with us. X
Yes 🙌🏻 this post is so important, despite it not being what you intended to write! Aside from the statistics that EVERYONE should know and take in, I just love the phrase “I was too busy being a woman”
This just encapsulates this all so perfectly, both in the fact that we’re too busy trying to keep up that we ironically don’t have time to ‘celebrate’ our own holiday but also that you were out there living your own life and that’s a beautiful thing!
My maternal grandmother (1888-1984) was a leading light in Liverpool for 'women in business' running the family business until it was blitzed in the war. The Soroptomists were founded in 1921 -- (https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/)
Joshua, this is amazing. I wasn’t at all familiar with the Soroptimist… so grateful for the link, but even more so for your grandmother.
Pulled from the history page of their website, so exactly what I was attempting to channel:
WHEN WE EMERGE FROM THIS NIGHTMARE AND THE STRUGGLE IS OVER WE MUST BE STRONGER THAN EVER TO SEE THAT ALL OUR INFLUENCE IS ON THE SIDE OF A JUST AND LASTING PEACE." the BRITISH SOROPTIMIST 1939.
I’m not sure any struggle is ever truly over, but PROGRESS is infinite.
Thank you for this!
Thank you. Yes I read that comment too on their website. As an aside I wrote a poem in her honour which is on deepundergroundpoetry.com where I have been active posting my poems since 2017. Substack is new to me. (Link to the poem by the way is: https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/393591-evelyn/). I've started posting what I now consider my 'better' poems on Substack, one a fortnight on a Sunday.
I’m so glad this particular perspective struck a couple chords for you, Lauren! Totally agree on tending to pass this one over… just another marketing ploy, and also, one day? Really??!
It certainly was a radically special circle to join a link to; I’ll never look at IWD the same way, that’s for sure. Thank you for the love you’ve brought also! 💕
Thank you, Kerry! I actually considered changing the title after posting, as I didn’t ultimately explore in the piece itself… couldn’t bring myself to change it tho, maybe there’ll be a part II!
So glad you felt the meaning with which I wrote it. 🧡