October Women

Posted on October 23, 2019 by dragonspitapothecary

Every October we are flooded with commercials and reminders to get our boobs squeezed and focus on prevention and health of women against breast and ovarian cancers. There is a pastel pink color that is splashed everywhere against the bright autumn colors that everyone instantly recognizes as the color associated women and cancer. There are runs, walks, fundraisers and more all in the interest of raising money to find a cure. You can even up your grocery bill to donate that way too. These are all worthy causes and I’m happy that people are paying attention to the need for finding a way to deal with these devastating diseases but isn’t there something underlying and fundamental that we are missing?

While I think these causes and focus on women’s health are important what are we individually doing every day to reduce our own risk? What do we do that helps our health be better overall? Are you only worried about your boobs in October?

I have been very fortunate to date that I have not had any serious health issues (knock on wood). I also realize that I don’t always make the best diet and exercise choices that can be considered the roulette risk of dancing with danger when it comes to things like diseases. As women we are all under a lot of pressure and stress to do a lot in our days and by nature we are very caring people so our needs very often go last on the attention list. It doesn’t mean we don’t care about our body or that we don’t think these other things are important but sometimes it just doesn’t work in trying to fit everything in.

Society has Failed Women

Look I’m the last person in the world to tell someone else about priorities in their life. I have often been the one that said if I spent all the 30 minutes a day doing the things people say you should do I would have no day left to do the obligations and responsibilities stuff. Sorry boss can’t work today because I have to do all these 30 minutes of activities that I’m supposed to do be the healthy, wealthy and wise – working out, reading, meditating, meal prepping, family meal that night, reading to my child, checking my breasts and so on. It’s noble and commendable but exhausting and no woman I know has time for all that.

We live in a confusing world when you are a woman. You are taught you can do anything a man can do. You can serve in the military, you can go to college and you can be anything you want in this world. That’s powerful to teach our daughters of this wonderful possibility they can have in their lives. Women have excelled in careers and professions that just a couple generations ago wouldn’t have been possible. Yes I know we still wage a battle on equality in pay but the achievements and advancements women have made professionally cannot be ignored. Being equal to men in the workplace has propelled our world to places I don’t think would have been possible otherwise.