Skating Uphill - October 2023
Living a Healthy Lifestyle
“Fight Like a Girl can mean many
different things these days!” ”
– The Uphill Skater –
Women have come a long way in just the last 50 years. Although the fight for women continues, I want to focus much more on what we have already won! There have been many victories because there have been (and are) many strong women who have fought for the future of women.
Many people think control over our own bodies involves only the very hot issue of abortion, but we also have many other issues that are so very important to our personal health and well-being, as you will read about some of the women in this issue. Women are required to be strong in many different ways, and we rise to challenges often in unexpected ways.
Here's one example: I have a friend who has 23 children; they are not all by birth, but they are all treated as if they are. She was adopted, herself, and fought many battles throughout her young life. However, during that time, she always kept in sight that life was not supposed to be what she was experiencing. She promised to help other children if she ever had the chance. She married a man who completely understood, and together, they have this fantastic family. They both are committed Christians and she is a co-leader for their church youth group. They are a mixed bag to say the least, but they are all happy, safe, and loved. Is there anything else!
Women fight personal battles, too. I work to bring health and good nutrition to several groups. Our church supports a coalition of churches that provides more than 100 families every month with fresh produce, home products, and sometimes even clothing for those in need. We serve many single moms, and I might just say they seem to be the new group of women who needs to fight like girls. They fight for their children and for themselves, and frequently they “skate uphill”, scrambling for the help they need. Did you know single parent households make up nearly a third of households in America and the vast majority of them are female head of household?
Another one of our biggest battles as women achievers is that battle for well-deserved recognition. Women face challenges as caregivers, heads of families, employees who are passed over for promotion, and the list goes on. We also fight illnesses, usually with our own quiet courage, such as heart disease, a variety of cancers unique to women, and the simple fact that sometimes others just don't listen. Sometimes even women in medicine, politics, economics, media or business are treated as position holders to make the stats look good.
If all of this seems a bit bitter, it’s not! Look where we are now, ladies. Just look at our progress! Are we still referred to as the "persecuted majority”? No. So much progress has been made since days not long a go when we could not vote, have a credit card in our name, own property, or dream of climbing the corporate ladder. Opportunities like small business ownership and Internet commerce have opened so many doors. The work-at-home movement has also been a nice boon to women. Talented women have been able to make good (sometimes great) money with Web sales and small online shops.
Of course we still have to get scrappy sometimes and fight like a girl, but more and more often, we are winning.
Visit www.skatinguphill.com blog for new recipes, daily thoughts and décor ideas. Also find reprints of Pink articles and shared comments. Blogging is fun and easy.
Judith Lawrenson is a former Hilton Head Island resident who has a huge heart and is loved by all who meet her. She has served and volunteered with numerous charitable organizations while living in the Lowcontry making an impact wherever she went. She and her husband recently moved to the wild hills of West Virginia to be closer to grandchildren. Judith is an avid sailor, a retired reading resource specialist, and a children's TV host whose local show originated from the Boys and Girls' Club. Judith is also a long-time seeker of healthy, happy living and a lifestyle dedicated to service to others, balanced with love of God and love of self. Check out her blog www.skatinguphill.com for fun info, recipes and nutrition ideas, current updates on nearly everything in the world, and lots of comments and opinions.
Though I do tons of research, and have done so for many years, I am not a doctor and I share only my opinions. I enjoy research and subscribe to several magazines and publications and read up on all new trends. I hope you do, too!