Women Today--Have Things Changed?

This week marks Business Women's Week. A local organization I belong to has events scheduled everyday this week to help women network with other women throughout the area. I have been around long enough to remember when it was once called Secretary's Day. Their was also Bring Your Daughter to Work Day. My how we have evolved. I do remember when my daughter was little taking her to work. She wasn't old enough to really fully absorb what this day should or would mean later in her life but I admit I think we have evolved just a little.

Although we still deal with the stigma of being able to multi-task and balance lifestyles that I think far outweigh our counterparts I believe women have come a long way. I think back to my grandmother's and mother's and each of them had a very different life.

My adoptive mom was a stay at home mom, I wonder sometimes whether it was by choice or because my dad wanted her to depend on him. I felt like she never really had a voice in how the household ran and yet I can remember one distinct saying from her, "Don't depend on anyone be independent". I truly think she was telling me don't do like she had... My granma Ruby lived through the Depression and World War II. Raising my adoptive mom while my granpa was in the war, she took in ironing and odd jobs to give my mom the special things in life. Although my granma's dad lived with them for most of my mom's young life it was my granma who made ends meet while granpa was fighting in the war. When granma got older she reversed and depended alot on granpa but I think he felt it was only fitting for all she had to do early on..

As far as my biological family my granma and my mom both were primarily single parents raising kids by themselves. Both were married two time each but most of their lives were spent working and raising their kids independently. So I guess you can say I get a little taste of all types of women in my life.

We still have a long, long way to go (yes I would like to see a woman president someday, I also believe that women should across the board be paid the same amount as men, if not more sometimes). I personally struggle with my roles in life everyday but every little bit of encouragement I get either from my family or peers helps in the everyday struggle we all have as women in this crazy, unpredictable world we live in.