The literal translation of Festa della Donna would be Celebration of Women, and globally through the United Nations women are honored each March 8th. Here in Italy I will celebrate with some of my favorite gal pals at Bottiglia, with a multi-course meal and live entertainment. Traditionally the men will honor the women in their lives with Magnolia flowers and affection. The source of this holiday comes from the awareness that women worked as hard in this world of ours and often are not treated equally, in the U.S.A. the difference between the salary of men and women for the same job is 10%. Yet we are one of the countries that does not celebrate, perhaps because the idea came out of socialist countries, but it seems that this idea crosses political motivation and into the reality of a concern for honor for women.
One of the many ideas for my sabbatical time in Italy that was on my heart, and was mentioned by more than one woman at Mary’s was to connect with women here in Italy and ask them about women’s issues. I can say that I had planned to have a gathering of women here, but life, as usual unfolded differently. Instead I have been blessed to have women of different generations as friends, and have had the opportunity to eat, walk, and just hang out with my gal pal friends here and listen to the unfolding of stories and talk that relates to our lives, our issues.
In speaking with the women here, it is amazing how similar we all are, all of us women co-created in the image of our living God. With younger women, the age of my daughter, the stories of heart are of yearnings for relationships, the sadness of relationships that have ended, and the searching for what is important in life and where to go next. For women in my age group the topics are our grown children making choices to leave home, which for Italy is VERY new, the yearning of women who have explored careers to even have children and their own families at this time of life, and the topic for older women has been how they continue to care for their very traditional families or discussion of how the traditional family values have changed. All in all, the women in Italy are talking heart to heart about the same issues we are speaking of. Some things have a different spin to them, as the traditional family where children most often still live in their parent’s home long after they leave school is slower in changing than in USA, but it is changing…as well as how health issues are addressed here in a country with socialized medicine. There is little discussion of birth control as it is simply taken for granted as a matter of health.
On this Women’s Day I am most struck by how alike women are worldwide, ready to share their stories, share their lives with their friends. How we are all seeking the best relationships possible for our families and ourselves. How our young people need support of those who are older for affirmation that things are going to work out in the end, there is always hope, and they have the support of their sisters. I am sad to some extent that my friends hosting a Women’s Day event here at the Pub have low attendance, basically those of us away from our families, but glad because the reason is that so many women are being celebrated and catered for by their families, being affirmed in their value in home and community. I am also glad there is a place for us who are without personal family here in the village to come for family, come for community, where the celebration will go on, because we as women are worth it, we are of value!
My prayer for all the women of Mary’s Place is that you know how valuable your lives are, and how much God loves you. We are all created in God’s image, how do we live into the fullness of this today, Women’s Day, and everyday???
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