Today is International Woman’s Day. As far as I am concerned every day is Woman’s Day. My mother worked long hard hours in a cotton mill and then came home and took care of her family. She and my dad did everything together. In later years she had her own lawn mower. His was gas operated. Hers was electric. My maternal grandmother worked as dis most of my aunts. My sister has worked outside the home from as soon as she could and for as long as she could. She helped raise three wonderful sons. Mt late wife taught kindergarten, art classes, and painted. Carol, my current wife, taught in South Carolina Schools for twenty-eight years.
My daughter, Suzanne, has worked in the hotel industry since late high school. She got her degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and has never looked back. She raised a terrific son. My granddaughter , Christina, teaches in child care after graduating from the College of Charleston. Her other grandmother also had a distinguished teaching career.
As an administrator I had many wonderful female employees who were paid on the same level as their male counterparts. It has been my great joy to work with many brilliant, talented, dedicated, hardworking women.
In religious circles, there are brilliant examples of women who lead the way: Dr. Molly Marshall, Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, and Dr. Linda Bridges to name only a few. My own congregation could not function without Lori Lethco, Emory Hiott, Beverly Bradley, Pat Ezell, Jane Hamrick, Ann Cheek, Susanne Jeter, Linda Lentz, Brandy Brown, Donna Parrish, Debbie Mack, Sue Murner and a host of others.
I have learned the hard way all of the things that my two wives, daughter and sister have done for me that I took for granted. No matter how hard I work, I can never repay their efforts great and small on my behalf. All I can do now is work for and vote for justice for all women everywhere..
*The picture is of my parents taken by my son, Michael.
