Manifesto Monday: Storms

I believe in the necessity and beauty of storms. I am not only speaking of the storms of Mother Nature, but of the storms that come to all of us in our lives--especially for women.

There is nothing that I love more than experiencing a terrible storm with loud, rumbling thunder and destructive high winds. It is indeed something both terrifying and thrilling to see the power of Mother Nature. She can bring both destruction and nourishment as she literally changes the landscape. I think of how these storms leave clean air, moist soil, and a calm like no other. I am drawn to these storms in a way that brings a swelling to my heart, and inspires me that I, too, can make great changes leaving the earth new, better, and a place of peace.

I think back on all the storms that women have caused to bring about better communities, environments, and a better world. I remember the women who were fed up with being second-class citizens and unable to vote. They became so passionate that they caused the storm that changed the way the world thought of women, and they got the vote. I think of the women who organized at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, because no one else would. They became so angry and motivated to change things once and for all--so they began sitting on busses--immovable.

We look back on these women and the amazing and courageous things they did, and we do not think, "I wish they would calm down" or "what were they getting so worked up about?" We honor these women and their passion--and their ability to start a storm that brought change. I believe, that as women, we have an innate power, our passions, to cause storms to wake people up, to give people courage, to give people hope in better days--to cleanse and to nourish. This I believe.