- - -Brooke Sachau
If there is a life after this one, and I am given a choice, I would want to come back as a woman. I believe that our battles make us stronger and our hardships make us softer than men. The man who coined the phrase "the weaker sex" was obviously overcompensating for his own issues. No one can follow a typical mother around during her day and consider her weaker than anybody. Mentally, physically and emotionally women are challenged on a daily basis and, more often than not, reach heights that they didn't think achievable.
Women possess a quiet fortitude that makes them look timid at times, but it isn't always the aggressive one that wins the battle. A well placed word is often more lethal than the sharpest knife. I know that my "look" has scared many a male. I was not a yelling teacher, but my students said they feared "the look" more than any teacher's loud voice. Mike and Beth feared " the look" too, and if I used it they usually saw things my way. I love the fact that Beth's students now say that she has "the look" that scares them to death.
I watched the Republican debates last night, and my feelings about the various candidates aside, Carly Fiorina showed poise and control far greater than any of her opponents. When she was being challenged, and let's face it...goaded...she never lost her cool. She didn't have the luxury of doing so. Can you imagine the reaction if Ms Fiorina reacted to things in the same way that Donald Trump does? She would be accused of being mentally unstable, hormonally imbalanced and probably experiencing her "time of the month." Both Carly and Hillary have had their looks picked apart by other candidates and the media, as though youthful good looks help make a great President.
Both books that I reviewed this week center around the strength of women. In A House in the Sky, Amanda Lindhout shows us what pure determination can do. Her childhood was a rough one, but she followed her dreams to travel the world. Her choice of destinations put her in constant danger, and her abduction in Somalia was not surprising. The strength she showed during those torturous days was admirable, and her "never give up" attitude is something we all can emulate.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette introduces us to another strong woman and her equally strong daughter. Bernadette was an award winning architect whose creativity was off the charts. It was probably more then she could handle and helped push her over the edge. Her downfall was painful to watch, but her strength was still obvious. I loved her daughter, Bee, who tried to understand and support a mother who was not always there for her.
Both books were exceptionally well written and kept me reading well into the night. Now it is your turn.
Happy reading,
Beverly