Women’s suffrage has always been near to my heart.

I don’t think some of us realize what people went through so that women can vote. Here’s one article. People faced imprisonment and a bunch of horrible things just to be able to do something we take for granted today.

And that moves me.

It moves me to question our current norm, our current reality.

It moves me to persevere in the face of opposition.

It moves me to realize that the way things are is not always right, and sometimes it’s worth doing something about it.

It moves me to take joy in being a woman. That although manhood can be seen as strong and risk-taking, and femininity as soft and beautiful — this is also true — me being a woman also means that I am brave and strong and risk-taking. I am intelligent and daring and a worthy fighter.

And sometimes when the whole world thinks you’re wrong, you’re actually right.

And, then just gratefulness. People were imprisoned for me to have a freedom I take for granted today.

May I not take it for granted.

And compassion that sometimes we disagree. It’s just a part of life. The poster I was reading in the capitol was sharing that there were anti-woman’s suffrage groups that also fought to oppose the people who wanted women to vote. Sounds kind of crazy now, but for all I know I would have thought that back in the day. We always think we’d be on the correct side of history (is there even a correct side?) but sometimes we wouldn’t have been. Those people aren’t evil, they’re just coming from a different place, and with respect and persistence we can learn from each other and live the values we hold deep in our heart.

And when we disagree, may we never treat others with contempt, or brutality, or dehumanizing.

Can we just learn to respect and listen?

Thank you to the women who went before me. I prize it.