By Nancy Kibuthu.
The chill of the morning is often a silent companion as dawn breaks, but on World Women’s Day, it’s a different kind of silence. It’s reflective, heavy with the weight of gratitude and history. It’s on this day, amid the soft golden hues of sunrise, that we pause to celebrate the incredible women who have served in the armed forces. They are our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends who have donned uniforms, shouldered arms, and carried the weight of our freedoms on their backs. They are the heroines often unsung, their stories woven into the fabric of our nation’s history, rich and complex.
Honoring Courageous Journeys
You see, these women have not just served; they have blazed trails. They’ve rewritten narratives and, against the gusts of opposition and storms of discrimination, they have stood tall. From the shores of Normandy to the deserts of Afghanistan, they’ve etched their names into the annals of time. We recall their service, not as a footnote in history books, but as entire chapters filled with valor.
Saluting Their Service
Did you know that as of the last count, the number of women veterans is in the millions? That’s millions of stories, millions of battles fought both abroad and at home, and millions of instances of sheer bravery. These women return from their service to build lives, to become leaders, not just in the forces but in business, in education, in every field you can imagine. Their battles have not always been against visible enemies, and their victories have often been silent, personal, and profound.
World Women’s Day Salute to Women Veterans
World Women’s Day isn’t just another date on the calendar; it’s a narrative changer. It’s a day that shines a light on the strength of all women, with a spotlight on those who have served. Around the globe, women veterans are honored with parades, with speeches that crackle with the fire of inspiration, with silent prayers, and with loud cheers.
Imagine the resilience it takes to serve and then to transition back to civilian life, to be a leader in the community, to be a caregiver, a mentor. World Women’s Day is an ode to this incredible duality, to the capacity of women to wear many hats, to serve many roles, each with grace and indomitable strength.
Supporting Our Heroes Beyond World Women’s Day
The truth is, our support for these remarkable women cannot and should not be confined to a single day. It is our duty to uplift and assist them throughout the year. Engage with veterans’ organizations, extend a hand, lend an ear – these gestures weave a safety net of support.
And so, we call upon you to act. Join forces with us, become an ally in appreciation, and when World Women’s Day rolls around, be there on the frontlines, celebrating, honoring, and advocating for the women who have unselfishly advocated for our liberties.
Conclusion
As the sun sets on World Women’s Day, let it not be the end of our tribute to these remarkable women veterans. Let us carry the torch of their legacy forward, let it light up the days until we meet again under the banner of next year’s celebrations. For the courage of women veterans, the strength they embody, the sacrifices they’ve made, deserve to be remembered and honored, not just today, but every day.
And so, in the immortal words of Maya Angelou, let’s remember that “each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” Today, let us all stand a little taller for our veteran women heroes.