Welcome to the 23rd exploration of the Planet of the Savage Strident DKos Feminist Supervixens!
This week's diary is being posted in the afternoon, rather than during the usual Supervixens evening time slot, so that we can have the evening free to enjoy the holiday with our friends and families.
Please join us and share what you're thankful for today, as a feminist.
"Feminist Supervixens" of every sex and gender are invited to participate in this feminists' circle. Our goal is to build a vibrant community of feminists here on Daily Kos. The emphasis here is on camaraderie and support, not argument and debate.
The idea of a "feminists' circle" was inspired by the work of Jean Shinoda Bolen, whose book The Millionth Circle described her vision of spontaneously forming women's circles that eventually catalyze a transformation in the world:
When a critical number of people change how they think and behave, the culture does also, and a new era begins.
From her web page on circles:
Imagine yourself in a circle of women, meeting together around a fire in the center of a round hearth. The fire in the center of the circle is a symbol of divinity,of spirit or soul, of goddess or god; it is the archetype of the Self in the center of your psyche, as it can be in the center of a circle, and as such, is a source of emotional warmth, spiritual and psychological illumination, wisdom and compassion.
Feminists who are interested in being a guest-host can email hrh at: feministsupervixens (AT) yahoo.com
As I prepare the food for our upcoming feast this evening, I'm giving a good deal of consideration to what feminists can be thankful for. Here are some thoughts I've come up with:
I give thanks for the women who went before us and fought so hard, and even died, for our right to vote.
I give thanks for readily available contraception and access to abortion, making it possible for women to control their reproductive rights and therefore control their lives.
I give thanks for those people who support the cause of feminism and are constantly working to ensure that women are granted full and equal rights in our society.
I give thanks for everyone in our lives, male and female, who brought us up to view ourselves as equal human beings, not as inferior females; as individuals, not gender stereotypes.
I give thanks for the loved ones in our lives who support us in our work and do whatever they can to help us attain our goals.
I give thanks for the enlightened men like my husband who are willing to shoulder the traditionally female burdens of housework, cooking, and childcare whenever necessary, without complaint.
I give thanks for the women in our families who have been strong role models, nurturing us through the years. I've been thinking a lot of my mother today, a working woman who was the main breadwinner in our household for many years. We were poor and had few luxuries - she had to scrimp and save - but on Thanksgiving we never failed to have a turkey and all the trimmings.
And finally, I give thanks for football - not nearly as great as baseball, but a good game with its own peculiar charms.
What are you thankful for today?