"There is Too Much Work to Do" Keep Marching On!
Jacqui Fishman
“People say, what is the sense of our small effort?
They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time,
take one step at a time.
A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless.
There is too much work to do.”
~ Dorothy Day
Yes, it's been a week! and Yes, emotions, anxiety and simple dread are filling every inch within us and around us.
Through the fog of where we are, and the blow to our hopes, however, comes clarity-get back to work!
True, it may not be as simple as "pick yourself up, dust yourself off..." but history shows us that is exactly what we need to do. Women did not just land in a space where a woman could receive over 70 million votes in her bid to be President of the United States. It was the work, the determination, the persistence and the resistance of generations of women, and men who believed in those women and their rights, to get here. Setbacks, no matter their dimensions or seismic proportion, are a part of that history, and a part of every girl's journey to stand where she wants.
With each turn of history,however, we get to do it differently, see it differently, listen differently, and move forward differently. While the lessons of this week are still to be understood one thing is certain-we don't stand still.
So, what can this girl do?
At This Girl Can! Change the World nothing that happened this week changes anything except to strengthen our commitment to girls everywhere.
Our mission has always been about inspiring every girl to know their own power. We want every girl to understand she has a voice and the right to walk into any room she chooses at any time.
We want to support every girl to have the confidence that grows with her, an unshakeable confidence and sense of self that allows her to believe in her own power to realize her dreams.
We know what happens to young girls as they enter their tween and teen years. All the amazing confidence, the girl spunk, they have erodes, and many girls simply fall off the confidence cliff.
We do not want to see any girl lose her belief in her own power.
We do not want any girl to question her place or her voice.
We do not want any girl to ever feel she does not belong...or that she can't...because we know This Girl Can!
We know that positive role models, mentors who support and show the way, learning about women's history and telling women's stories, and amplifying affirming portrayals in popular culture and media are all key to helping every girl see what is possible.
So how do we help our girls understand this week when we as adults may not yet understand. How do we help them with the hurt and disappointment that we all are carrying? How do we create the path for them to soar?
We start with acknowledging it hurts but also looking at what there is to celebrate. We point to all the women throughout history who got up the next day and kept moving forward. Though the potential was not realized THIS TIME, stepping back, sitting down, giving up, giving in will never be the way to build lasting change. These are lessons that are not about one woman, one election, but rather about how every girl can navigate her own personal journey and achieve her own goals.
To do this,however, she needs us to show her we believe in her! and help her to believe in herself.
"The important thing is don't ever give up. Don't ever give up. Don't ever stop trying to make the world a better place. You have power. You have power. And don't you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before."
~Vice President Kamala Harris
Now more than perhaps ever before we need to support girls understanding of what is possible. No, it may not always work out, but we need to foster their confidence to get up and most especially try again and again and again.
Progress is not instant soup and learning about women's stories throughout history will show that well. Our kids are from an instant gratification culture...a two minute tik tok is about the extent of their investment of time. So teaching them that justice is slow but worth the work is essential as is showing every girl that no matter the moment, no matter the current outcome, This Girl Can! Use Her Voice...This Girl Can! Choose Her Own Path... This Girl Can! Walk into Any Room... This Girl Can! Do Something... This Girl Can! Change the World.
Keep Marching On!
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
— Harriet Tubman