In 2011, the U.N. declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child, honoring the efforts of the Day of the Girl, a youth-led movement in the U.S.
Elisabeth Hewer is a poet and author from South West England. Noted for her book Wishing for Birds, published in 2015.
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“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire
goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter
with another human being. We should all be thankful
for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
– Albert Schweitzer
On October 7, 2009, Linda Jew started ‘You Matter to Me Day’ after her best friend’s brother and nephew were killed in an accident. Words to say while we still can, because we don’t know what the future will bring.
Our families, husbands, wives, a best friend, friends from childhood, or from school, friends from work, or friends who share our interests, our politics, or our hobbies – all the people who form the circle of each of our lives. We probably say ‘I love you’ to the closest ones, but what about the rest?
Connections between people happen in so many different ways. Today Linda Jew reminds us to think about who matters, and tell them.
“Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.”
– Rodgers & Hammerstein, The Sound of Music
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October 2,1941 – Diana Hendry born, UK poet, children’s author, and short story writer; won the 1991 Whitbread Award for best children’s book for Harvey Angell. Her collections of poetry for adults include Making Blue, Borderers, and Late Love: And Other Whodunnits.
To read Diana Hendry’s poem “Watching Telly With You” click:
Again, it is up to women who bear the unrelenting, diabolical, yoke of callous/inhumane misogyny to rise up and fight. Women are engaged in bare-knuckled, in-the-mud, trench warfare, against unjust and cruel calcified patriarchal systems. These seen and unseen self-sacrificial, courageous battles to put down draconian, medieval laws and mores, in order to gain basic, inalienable rights are nothing short of heroic.
The fact that women are still facing chronic oppression, despite the stupendous advances achieved in key areas of human development, is an unmitigated tragedy, and a blight on the sanctity and intrinsic value of human life. Our quest for unconditional equality, and recognition as sentient, sovereign beings, will redound to the benefit of entire humanity – born and unborn.
Whether women are at the vanguard of bold, no-nonsense, action in the corridors of power aka lions’ dens; or laying our lives down in the streets, against brutal sexism ala Iran protests i.e swimming with sharks; or overthrowing the heavy chains of the Dobbs SCOTUS decision, which essentially subjected women to beasts of burden/chattel status; women will rise to the challenge, as per usual.
Women are in the forefront of the fight for the rule of law in the US, and by necessary implication – foundational and imperative tenets of democracy; the absence of which equals an embrace of lawless and violent authoritarianism.
This leap backward into the dark, netherworld of strong man rule, would spell the end of global democracy. In its place, would be anarchy and the law of the jungle.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ questioning seems to have born belated fruit today when New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has been conducting a civil investigation of former President, Donald Trump’s company, announced a major lawsuit of Trump, three of his adult children and his company over widespread fraud claims, according to CNBC.” – Meryl Ann Butler – OpEd news
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September 24, 1825 – Frances Watkins Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland, as a free woman; African-American abolitionist, lecturer, poet, and author. She published her first book of poetry at age 20, and became the first American black woman to publish a short story, “Two Offers,” in the Anglo-African in 1859. Her novel Iola Leroy, published in 1892, was widely praised. She was part of the Underground Railroad in the 1850s, and was a public speaker for the American Anti-Slavery Society, and an advocate for woman suffrage and for prohibition. In 1894, she was a co-founder of the National Association of Colored Women, and served as its first vice president.
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