Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Song For My Sisters


Hooray for you, My Sisters-
whatever choice it is you've made:
to Stay at Home or Go to Work
clean your own home - get a maid.

Hooray for you, My Sisters
whatever choice was right for you:
Change each and every diaper
or pass off the ones with poo.

Hooray for you My Sisters
(With apologies for this prose)
I celebrate that you had options
and don't judge the path you chose.


Hooray for you My Sisters
who did not blog with disdain
judgmental narrow minded statements
about the woman beside McCain.

Hooray for you My Sisters
"cuz with judgments we ALL lose
because we never Really Know
til we walk in someone's shoes.

Hooray for you My Sisters
May your daughters grow up strong
and know that whatever life they choose
they won't be judged as "wrong."

Hooray for you My Sisters
(and to you, my loving brothers)
who understand that the only way
we rise is by lifting others.

This post is not about who you are voting for or if you are a Republican or a Democrat. It's about women tearing other women down for the choices they make AS WOMEN to work or stay home with their children. We cannot continue to pour so much of energy into this debate instead of focusing on how to improve the options available to our daughters. And if i just lost half of my readership in Utah by saying that, so be it. I don't usually politically blog--I try so hard not to provide you with any true content--but yesterday was a very sad day for me when I visited many familiar urls only to find diatribes about how women should stay at home. I judge the judgers, dammit.

21 comments:

Jen said...

AMEN!!! I loved this poem Lorrie! Right back atcha babe!

K.Pete said...

Luv it!

Bj in Dallas said...

L
I really like it too, because although I am not a Republican,
I feel a connection to her as a mom, woman, snappy dresser (!)well, thats my opinion-
but I would not bash her. The ONLY thing that stuck with me was in one sentence, they said she is a member of the NRA and Pro Life, which is kind of a weird oxymoron (sp) if you ask me. Just a thought...guess that might get some comments going, but I hate guns and I want the right to chose what happens to my body- so I am quite the opposite-

Shonda Little said...

First, I need that shirt.
Second, I feel the same about Sarah Palin's personal life. I do wonder to myself if this will make her feel differently about abstinence-only education. As someone who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency, I will want to know more about her policies and what drives them. But, just like I didn't care who Bill Clinton or John Edwards were getting down with, I don't care who her kid is. Although, have you seen photos of Bristol's boyfriend Levi Johnston? He's kinda hot, all rugged and 18. I'm married, you know we desperate housewives get easily excited.

Bj in Dallas said...

oh yeah, he's hot. I forgot to say that.
and I too, don't care who's shaggin who, does that matter in foreign policy?

Spatula said...

Preach it, dude! Choices for all, whether they want them or not! Goddammit.

...Those who doubt me suck cock by choice.

(...That was a quote from Deadwood)

Tracy said...

All I can say is AMEN! (from a reader in Utah) :)

We all do the best we can... I know if I were a stay-at-home mom the kids and I would ALL be certifiable...

kristin said...

Not in Utah, but Amen, Sister!

Bj in Dallas said...

I'm not finished. I just read your post again, and I love you even more now for standing up and saying that. What works for Family A does not necessarily work for Family B and if I didn't work, what would I do now that I am facing being a single mom? Throw that one at them. Lorrie, 99% of the time the people that can't hold their tongues and judge others are such hypocrites in many areas of their lives. I know too many of them. They justify what they do and preach to people that do it differently. I don't want my blog to get political either but mothers in Utah and beyond that think they have the right to determine that their lives are better because they stay home can stay home and better yet, stay inside because I don't want to be exposed to their narrow minded way of thinking.

Debra said...

Lorrie,

You are AWESOME, girlfriend! I could not have said it any better myself, dear heart. "The only way we rise is by lifting others." That is the whole idea of being a woman. It is to see the best in others and then CELEBRATE one another's achievements!

Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem. I felt like cheering loudly after I read it!

I am woman, hear me roar!

Love you, sister!
Deb

Janet said...

You've gained a fan in Idaho! I love your prose and the very articulate way you summed up the situation.

Le said...

ohh dear one you are soooo on the money !

We should all just move to New Zealand where they already have a woman in the top job of Prime Minister ... where they were the first country to give women the vote and the sheep still have a lot of options :)

Whichever way things pan out for the good ole US of A after this election it is time for women to stop the rot and just be kinder to each other ... my love from around the otherside of the world ... le xox

Janet said...

You've gained a fan in Idaho! I love your prose and the very articulate way you summed up the situation.

PearlsOfSomething said...

"Hooray for you, My Sisters
whatever choice was right for you:"

Yes! Whatever choice was right for you yesterday, whatever choice was right for you today, and whatever choice may be right for you tomorrow. Because they won't necessarily be the same all the time, and we wouldn't want you to have to hate yourselves, now would we?

Robin said...

And you get an Amen from this dumbass Okie!!

Anonymous said...

It's not about electing a woman, or an African-American, but about electing the best.

Vote wisely--as in God gave us a brain to think with as well as a heart to feel with.

T R L said...

Lorrie,

Just so you know, I got what you were trying to say, even though I don't belong to the "Girls Club". (And I think it's meaning applies to everyone....stop judging and let everyone be free to make and be responsible for their choices).

Thanks for being real.

Now on to your Utah commentary. Utah is a peculiar place. Full of peculiar people. Many of whom express their beliefs in peculiar ways, and have inferiority complexes compounded with high levels of guilt. Feel pity for us.

I'm still reading.

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Excellent prose.

Anonymous said...

You still got a fan in Utah right here.

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

First of all, I went to Big Lots tonight, and they were passing off some made in China crap that was trying to look like your stuff, (failing miserably) and i thought, "DO PEOPLE KNOW HOW LUCKY THEY ARE TO EVEN FIND STUFF MADE IN THE US?" I treasure my Our Name Is Mud stuff!

OK - now about your post. This is really great, and I loved the poo line. We are so far removed from the women in Africa and the Middle East who have their genitalia carved out at the hands of their governments. We can't relate to the Saudi women who can't eat in public or drive cars. Or the women in Afghanistan who endure likewise. Or the women in China who are forced to abort their babies because they are GIRLS. Meanwhile, back in the states, it's starting to look like a junior high cat fight.

Anonymous said...

WOW! This was amazing...right on Lorrie....so right on...it's time for women to stand together...sorry it's LONG overdue and to truly celebrate one another for the choices we make .... if we stopped fightin' and judgin' one another think of what we could do with all that fabulous collective energy....I want my daughter to know she can do whatever she dreams so long as it makes her happy ...with more women like you in the world Lorrie, that might be possible in the future.

Love to you and your little ones hope all are well!