Make no mistake…women make the world go round!  If there is any doubt, let me assuage it right now…the Sisterhood gets things done! Yesterday, I had the pleasure (and privilege) of being with four other strong and enlightened women lunching in New York and then attending GLORIA, A LIFE. More than simply a role model, Gloria Steinem changed the course of history for women, and hence, for the world. The play demonstrates the differences for women from the Suffragette movement through today, with a new record: women have been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from 46 of the 50 states. Women can now demand equal pay for equal work. We can take care of our bodies (and my prayers are for that to continue, Please G-d!) We can write, paint, create and feel the joy of doing all of this under our own names, and not under a masculine alias. These are only some of the marvelous accomplishments of the female gender.

Christine Lahti was a wonderful Gloria, and she filled the impressive in-the-round Daryl Roth Theatre. The cast that supported her was outstanding, donning different garb and props as they changed characters, most notably, her mother. Sadly, her mother raised her children in an era when women had extremely limited resourced and rights, and it caused her mental illness to spiral. Again, due to limited resources, she lived on barbiturates which kept her near comatose…a waste of her life, and a terrible weight on Gloria. Gloria’s rise to lead the Feminist Movement is a testimonial to her strength, determination, and empowerment, which is due in part to the other women she met along the road, calling for the rights of all women and minorities, as they intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement.

I am proud to be part of the camaraderie of women and the empowerment of the rights of all humanity. My daughters and granddaughters deserve all that is due to them, but so do my sons-in-law and grandsons. On my wishlist for all of us is that we respect each other; we all respect our planet; we do good in this world and leave it better, repairing what needs to be repaired; that our goal is to care for each other and raise up ourselves. As a leader in my Ostomy Community, I never forget the opportunity I have to do my best for someone who needs it. Please join me in making a commitment to do the same…I believe we all depend upon it!

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