By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An Angel appeared and said "Why are you spending so much time on this one"?
And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the spec sheet on her?"
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands.
The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!" said the Angel.
The Lord replied, "Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"
"And that's just on the standard model?" The Angel asked.
The Lord nodded in agreement, "Yep, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head, are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can.
And the third pair are here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."
The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I can't!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."
The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the Angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."
The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak." The Lord objected. "That's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."
The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. "You thought of everything, for mothers are truly amazing."
Showing posts with label Women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Women. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, October 13, 2008
A little time to slumber
It's too true...
This poem is from here - Great website, great writer!
A little time to slumber
All my days spent in the sun,
My idle hands were folded,
My daily chores not done.
I wasn’t at all rebellious,
As into the sky I’d gaze,
I just left my daily duties
As in the sun I bathed.
I read my book for hours,
Dishes soaking in the sink,
The meat still in the freezer
For I didn’t stop to think
What I needed for dinner,
It lay frozen in a lump;
I’d serve meat of something,
Be it chops or steak or rump.
Just a minute of my surfing
Turned to hours of my day,
As I sat online chatting
To people far away.
Imagine then my panic
As at last I looked around,
To see the clock now telling
My man was homeward bound.
What a rush of my adrenaline,
Making me quickly scamper
To launder clothes still waiting
In the dirty laundry hamper.
The bed was pulled up in a hurry,
The dishes washed and left to dry,
As I boiled up some veggies
And set the meat to fry.
Which would likely take forever
For it hadn’t completely thawed
And I so wanted dinner ready
As soon as my man hit the door.
I felt so really guilty
as I served our dinner late,
That I decided my many forums
Would henceforth have to wait.
© Glenys Robyn Hicks
This poem is from here - Great website, great writer!
A little time to slumber
All my days spent in the sun,
My idle hands were folded,
My daily chores not done.
I wasn’t at all rebellious,
As into the sky I’d gaze,
I just left my daily duties
As in the sun I bathed.
I read my book for hours,
Dishes soaking in the sink,
The meat still in the freezer
For I didn’t stop to think
What I needed for dinner,
It lay frozen in a lump;
I’d serve meat of something,
Be it chops or steak or rump.
Just a minute of my surfing
Turned to hours of my day,
As I sat online chatting
To people far away.
Imagine then my panic
As at last I looked around,
To see the clock now telling
My man was homeward bound.
What a rush of my adrenaline,
Making me quickly scamper
To launder clothes still waiting
In the dirty laundry hamper.
The bed was pulled up in a hurry,
The dishes washed and left to dry,
As I boiled up some veggies
And set the meat to fry.
Which would likely take forever
For it hadn’t completely thawed
And I so wanted dinner ready
As soon as my man hit the door.
I felt so really guilty
as I served our dinner late,
That I decided my many forums
Would henceforth have to wait.
© Glenys Robyn Hicks
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Yes, Breastfeeding is a Human Right
Yes, this even applies in a little town called Yarmouth.
Today I heard a story that left me a little bit speechless. I assumed that business owners would be aware of human rights law, and that they wouldn't want to leave themselves open to potential discrimination suits.
There is no gain to be had in naming the business or individual involved, but let's just say, it seems some re-education is required.
While I'm sure no one would tell someone who is (insert ethnicity, handicap, etc) that they need to leave their establishment, apparently it's still acceptable to tell a breastfeeding mother that she needs to leave the premises.
Now, it's one thing to ask a mom to cover up. Most moms do anyway. (Although I wish you luck in getting the baby to cooperate - do YOU like to eat with your head under a blanket?) But to tell her she needs to leave the area, to go to the bathroom, to her car, to another room - well, that's where you're going to get into trouble.
I can see how it might make you uncomfortable to see someone feeding her baby. I suppose some people are unable to separate the feeding function of breasts from their sexual function. Although frankly, I don't think that's the baby's fault.
I saw a delightful slogan a few days ago: "If my breastfeeding offends you, feel free to put a blanket over your head." I might just have to get it printed on t-shirts and hand them out to local moms.
But I digress.
For those business owners who are interested in staying within the bounds of Nova Scotia law, here are the nitty gritty details in short and sweet form: IT'S A PROTECTED RIGHT. As in, it's allowed. Everywhere.
"The policy states that women can't be told to move to a more discreet area to breastfeed or feel compelled to do so. The policy also states that women who need to breastfeed while working should be accommodated to do so
up to the point of undue hardship on the employer."
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20000601002)
On February 18, 2000 the Nova Scotia's Human Rights Act clarified the law regarding discrimination based on sex and family status.
2.19 Under the Human Rights Act women are protected from discrimination and harassment because of sex, which includes pregnancy, and family status, which means being in a parent-child relationship. In Nova Scotia it is illegal to discriminate because a women is or was pregnant, because she may become pregnant or because she has had a baby. This includes a woman's right to breast-feed her baby.
2.19.1 The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of "the provision of or access to services and facilities". Woman have the right to breast-feed a child in public areas, including restaurants, retail stores and shopping centres, theatres and so forth. Women shall not be prevented from nursing a child in a public area, nor asked to move to another area that is more "discreet".
2.19.2 The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of employment against women who are breastfeeding. Employers have a duty to accommodate employees who are breastfeeding. This duty is limited only if the accommodation would create undue hardship. Accommodation could include allowing the employee to have the baby brought into the workplace by a caregiver for feeding, and arranging a quiet place to breast-feed. The onus is on the employer to show an undue hardship if a request for accommodation related to breastfeeding is refused.
2.19.3 The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission will accept complaints of discrimination based on sex and/or family status related to breastfeeding, and will deal with them in accordance with the above policies.
(http://www.infactcanada.ca/humanright.htm)
Breastfeeding Policy
Approved by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Under the Human Rights Act women are protected from
discrimination and harassment because of sex, which includes pregnancy, and family status, which means being in a parent-child relationship. In Nova Scotia it is illegal to discriminate because a woman is or was pregnant, because she may become pregnant or because she has had a baby. This includes a woman's right to breastfeed her child.
(1) The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of "the provision of or access to services and facilities." Women have the right to breastfeed a child in public areas, including restaurants, retail stores and shopping centres, theatres and so forth. Women should not be prevented from nursing a child in a public area, nor asked to move to another area that is more "discreet."
(2) The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of employment against women who are breastfeeding. Employers have a duty to accommodate employees who are breastfeeding. This duty is
limited only if the accommodation would create an undue hardship. Accommodation could include allowing the employee to have the baby brought into the workplace by a care-giver for feeding, and arranging a quiet place to breastfeed. The onus is on the employer to show an undue hardship if a request for accommodation related to breastfeeding is refused.
(3) The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission will accept
complaints of discrimination based on sex and/or family status related to breastfeeding, and will deal with them in accordance with the above policies.
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20000601002)
Today I heard a story that left me a little bit speechless. I assumed that business owners would be aware of human rights law, and that they wouldn't want to leave themselves open to potential discrimination suits.
There is no gain to be had in naming the business or individual involved, but let's just say, it seems some re-education is required.
While I'm sure no one would tell someone who is (insert ethnicity, handicap, etc) that they need to leave their establishment, apparently it's still acceptable to tell a breastfeeding mother that she needs to leave the premises.
Now, it's one thing to ask a mom to cover up. Most moms do anyway. (Although I wish you luck in getting the baby to cooperate - do YOU like to eat with your head under a blanket?) But to tell her she needs to leave the area, to go to the bathroom, to her car, to another room - well, that's where you're going to get into trouble.
I can see how it might make you uncomfortable to see someone feeding her baby. I suppose some people are unable to separate the feeding function of breasts from their sexual function. Although frankly, I don't think that's the baby's fault.
I saw a delightful slogan a few days ago: "If my breastfeeding offends you, feel free to put a blanket over your head." I might just have to get it printed on t-shirts and hand them out to local moms.
But I digress.
For those business owners who are interested in staying within the bounds of Nova Scotia law, here are the nitty gritty details in short and sweet form: IT'S A PROTECTED RIGHT. As in, it's allowed. Everywhere.
"The policy states that women can't be told to move to a more discreet area to breastfeed or feel compelled to do so. The policy also states that women who need to breastfeed while working should be accommodated to do so
up to the point of undue hardship on the employer."
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20000601002)
On February 18, 2000 the Nova Scotia's Human Rights Act clarified the law regarding discrimination based on sex and family status.
2.19 Under the Human Rights Act women are protected from discrimination and harassment because of sex, which includes pregnancy, and family status, which means being in a parent-child relationship. In Nova Scotia it is illegal to discriminate because a women is or was pregnant, because she may become pregnant or because she has had a baby. This includes a woman's right to breast-feed her baby.
2.19.1 The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of "the provision of or access to services and facilities". Woman have the right to breast-feed a child in public areas, including restaurants, retail stores and shopping centres, theatres and so forth. Women shall not be prevented from nursing a child in a public area, nor asked to move to another area that is more "discreet".
2.19.2 The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of employment against women who are breastfeeding. Employers have a duty to accommodate employees who are breastfeeding. This duty is limited only if the accommodation would create undue hardship. Accommodation could include allowing the employee to have the baby brought into the workplace by a caregiver for feeding, and arranging a quiet place to breast-feed. The onus is on the employer to show an undue hardship if a request for accommodation related to breastfeeding is refused.
2.19.3 The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission will accept complaints of discrimination based on sex and/or family status related to breastfeeding, and will deal with them in accordance with the above policies.
(http://www.infactcanada.ca/humanright.htm)
Breastfeeding Policy
Approved by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Under the Human Rights Act women are protected from
discrimination and harassment because of sex, which includes pregnancy, and family status, which means being in a parent-child relationship. In Nova Scotia it is illegal to discriminate because a woman is or was pregnant, because she may become pregnant or because she has had a baby. This includes a woman's right to breastfeed her child.
(1) The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of "the provision of or access to services and facilities." Women have the right to breastfeed a child in public areas, including restaurants, retail stores and shopping centres, theatres and so forth. Women should not be prevented from nursing a child in a public area, nor asked to move to another area that is more "discreet."
(2) The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the area of employment against women who are breastfeeding. Employers have a duty to accommodate employees who are breastfeeding. This duty is
limited only if the accommodation would create an undue hardship. Accommodation could include allowing the employee to have the baby brought into the workplace by a care-giver for feeding, and arranging a quiet place to breastfeed. The onus is on the employer to show an undue hardship if a request for accommodation related to breastfeeding is refused.
(3) The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission will accept
complaints of discrimination based on sex and/or family status related to breastfeeding, and will deal with them in accordance with the above policies.
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20000601002)
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
So, you want to be treated like a lady?
Something has changed in the last couple of generations. We want to be treated like ladies, but heaven forbid we should do anything that would make us appear weaker than our male counterparts. So we squash the craving to be cherished, to be cared for, to be protected, and we rush off to do everything ourselves. This is in stark contrast to what I see when I look at my grandmother's generation. Most of the more aged ladies I know are indeed 'ladies' who would think it odd indeed to be out with a man who didn't come around to open the car door.
I see it in little things, like whether a man opens the door for a woman, or lets her go ahead of him, who places the order in a restaurant, who drives, things like that. I think a lot of the reason for it is women becoming more independent, more dominant, and not wanting to appear "weak". And also, because of men working more and more hours, more women are thrust into the position of having to do everything themselves, or else having it simply not get done.
I'm trying to change this in myself - I'm very much one who will "just do it" rather than waiting, whether "it" is doing a load of laundry or changing a light fixture. I'm stepping back a bit more often. Hesitating rather than rushing ahead - if I just go ahead and open the door, then he doesn't have the opportunity to do it, even if he wants to. I'm trying to ask for help more often. Pointing out things that need to be done, but of course trying not to nag. Opening up a little more and admitting that I would like to be more feminine even though I struggle with it. Asking him to pray at mealtimes when he's home, and getting C to say her prayers with daddy when he's here instead of just doing it myself. Asking for advice, even if I feel like I already know the best answer and am ready to move forward.
And no doubt paying attention to appearance helps immensely. I've been trying to pay more attention to that - being 6 months pregnant has thrown me a bit and I tend to just put on something that fits and put my hair up in a knot because it's cooler... but this week I got a big bag of maternity clothing from a friend which was a nice boost to my shrinking wardrobe, and I've been giving a little more thought to little things like painting my nails or putting on a bit of perfume.
I guess it comes down to taking the time to think and act a little more "delicate" and allowing the men in our lives the opportunity to step up to the plate and treat us like princesses :-)
I see it in little things, like whether a man opens the door for a woman, or lets her go ahead of him, who places the order in a restaurant, who drives, things like that. I think a lot of the reason for it is women becoming more independent, more dominant, and not wanting to appear "weak". And also, because of men working more and more hours, more women are thrust into the position of having to do everything themselves, or else having it simply not get done.
I'm trying to change this in myself - I'm very much one who will "just do it" rather than waiting, whether "it" is doing a load of laundry or changing a light fixture. I'm stepping back a bit more often. Hesitating rather than rushing ahead - if I just go ahead and open the door, then he doesn't have the opportunity to do it, even if he wants to. I'm trying to ask for help more often. Pointing out things that need to be done, but of course trying not to nag. Opening up a little more and admitting that I would like to be more feminine even though I struggle with it. Asking him to pray at mealtimes when he's home, and getting C to say her prayers with daddy when he's here instead of just doing it myself. Asking for advice, even if I feel like I already know the best answer and am ready to move forward.
And no doubt paying attention to appearance helps immensely. I've been trying to pay more attention to that - being 6 months pregnant has thrown me a bit and I tend to just put on something that fits and put my hair up in a knot because it's cooler... but this week I got a big bag of maternity clothing from a friend which was a nice boost to my shrinking wardrobe, and I've been giving a little more thought to little things like painting my nails or putting on a bit of perfume.
I guess it comes down to taking the time to think and act a little more "delicate" and allowing the men in our lives the opportunity to step up to the plate and treat us like princesses :-)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Tough Life for Stay-at-Home Moms?
Well said, Dr. Laura!
"The last few generations have been brought up with too much and too little: too much opportunity and things, too little gratitude and obligation. We actually have a large segment of our population that couldn't imagine giving without getting, sacrificing out of obligation, suffering out of responsibility, following through out of honor. "
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34558
"The last few generations have been brought up with too much and too little: too much opportunity and things, too little gratitude and obligation. We actually have a large segment of our population that couldn't imagine giving without getting, sacrificing out of obligation, suffering out of responsibility, following through out of honor. "
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34558
Thursday, March 8, 2007
International Women's Day
Today is International Women's Day. Sorry to admit it, but I honestly didn't know that until just now, as I was watching the 5:00 news. Oops.
Anyway, I was watching the feature on the news and it was pretty thought-provoking. Although there was a brief segment about the importance of removing the stigma of domestic violence and protecting women better, the real focus was primarily on the lack of women in the trades professions and what can be done about it.
"What can be done about it." Like it's a bad thing that women aren't turning out in droves to become carpenters, plumbers and electricians. Like there's some terrible tragedy that the trades are a male-dominated industry.
How about celebrating International Women's Day by celebrating our womanhood? We're different - why don't we embrace the differences instead of trying to erase them? Tonight would be a good night for mothers and daughters to sit together and celebrate that they are special and different and honored by God in their womanhood and girlhood, to be thankful that they ARE made differently from men. It might also be a good night for fathers to embrace their daughters and celebrate them for who they are. Let them know that you're proud of them, just for being your daughters. Show some extra love to your wife, for being the special woman she is.
Remember, we're not unequal - we're just different.
Anyway, I was watching the feature on the news and it was pretty thought-provoking. Although there was a brief segment about the importance of removing the stigma of domestic violence and protecting women better, the real focus was primarily on the lack of women in the trades professions and what can be done about it.
"What can be done about it." Like it's a bad thing that women aren't turning out in droves to become carpenters, plumbers and electricians. Like there's some terrible tragedy that the trades are a male-dominated industry.
How about celebrating International Women's Day by celebrating our womanhood? We're different - why don't we embrace the differences instead of trying to erase them? Tonight would be a good night for mothers and daughters to sit together and celebrate that they are special and different and honored by God in their womanhood and girlhood, to be thankful that they ARE made differently from men. It might also be a good night for fathers to embrace their daughters and celebrate them for who they are. Let them know that you're proud of them, just for being your daughters. Show some extra love to your wife, for being the special woman she is.
Remember, we're not unequal - we're just different.
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