My Country 'Tis Of Thee

I cried a little bit while watching the State of the Union address last night.

I was especially moved when President Bush acknowledged the monumental meaning of the evening - turning around to address the nation's first ever Madame Speaker.

A bursting, beaming, lightning bolt of pride ran through my core.

Nancy Pelosi is a representative for every woman who was ever put down and rattled out of the political system. She stands at the helm in Washington, making decisions and representing the rights of every single female in the United States.

This is truly a remarkable occasion.

And yet, it shouldn't really be that surprising to me, because Nancy Pelosi is a woman.

Women have the unique gift and responsibility to give birth to human life.
Women go to PTA meetings to fight for their children's education.
A woman will kiss away the pain on a scratched knee.
Women make casseroles for sick friends, they take bummed-out girlfriends out for drinks.
They hold down 9-to-5 jobs that really last from 8-to-6, all while getting the kids off to school, to soccer practice and whipping up a dinner for the whole fam damily.

Women vote. We pay taxes. Some of us can even change our own flat tires.

We volunteer at soup kitchens, we whip up handmade Christmas gifts. We cultivate hobbies like decoupage, scrap booking and photography. Women actually take the digital memory card to the grocery store to develop the pictures.

Some women run marathons. Others wipe away runny noses.

We pray, we forgive. We remember the memories our children cannot. We hug strangers who are in need of comfort, support, understanding.

We do this because we are women.

We are amazing.