April 30, 1789, was the day George Washington became president and John Adams became his Vice President. This was a historic day for our country as it was the start of our nation. On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, almost 232 years after that historic day, we will have a historic day for our country, the United States of America. Wednesday is a historic day because it will be the day we have the first female Vice President of our country.
In the midst of so much happening in our society, it has been easy to overlook such a historic day. Raging COVID-19 cases and deaths, unrest in our society… honestly, I had forgotten about what this day means for so many of us.
Women are still paid considerably less than men. Many question if women are “capable” of being in power. Sexism is still rampant. It was only in 1920 that women gained the right to vote. As much as we like to pretend women have all the same rights as men, sadly, women still are seen as less than in many areas. If I am honest, it has been a little more than 20 years since I believed women should be allowed to have the same power as men… yes this is hard to admit.
While politics determines everything in our society today (I couldn’t even post about my dad struggling to get a COVID vaccine before someone used a slanderous political term), my heart hurts for the brokenness of our country… my heart hurts for such hate that is rampant… my heart hurts that many won’t see Wednesday as the remarkable day it is. Honestly, I was scared to write this blog, for fear of the political comments that might result.
If we are to believe that the United States of America is the place where all our dreams can come true, than we should celebrate that almost 232 years after we had our first vice president, we can say we have representation in that office from a woman… while I could focus on the fact it has taken so long for it to happen, I chose instead to focus on that it is happening.
It matters having a woman in this position. It matters for our children to see a woman in such a position of power… but even more it matters for this 41 year old woman to see it. It helps me to see the work is worth it… it helps for me to see that maybe one day in my lifetime, we will be seen as just as capable and worthy as men… it helps me to see my worth.
On Wednesday, I will think of my grandmothers. They didn’t profess women’s rights to me, but their actions showed me how women could do anything. One grandmother made airplanes during World War II as my grandfather served in the war (he did laundry). The other grandmother became the primary breadwinner for the family when my grandfather lost his job in the oil field.
My sister (two years older than me) was the first woman in our immediate family to graduate from college. She has always been an example to me of what I can do as a woman. Once I became a mom, I had to manage what it means to be a mom who also has a passion for a career. I in no way do it perfectly, but tonight with tears running down my face, I am grateful. I am grateful for representation, I am thankful for progress, and I am hopeful.
Amy Bigbee Grosso, PhD 