After thousands of years of abuse, educational deprivation and being treated like property, women are finally getting the opportunity to blossom like the beautiful flowers that they are. The entire month of March is dedicated to the strength and intelligence of the woman. It's time to stand tall, to dance uninhibitedly and to give a dainty applause to the other half of the human race.

According to a pullout in the March 12, 2005 issue of The Washington Post, there are 14 women in the U.S. Senate, 65 women in the U.S. House of Representatives and four women serving the U.S. Cabinet. There are also eight women serving as Governors. I'd say that women are finally having a say in the world. The whole "hand that rocks the cradle" thing is nice, but it's also just a phrase used to pacify the demand of the woman to be an equal voice of reason concerning decisions that effect her. The pullout also said that one of every four doctors in America today are women, and that number will be growing soon with half of all medical students being female.

It's about time we got recognized for something more than just beauty. The beauty of women has long been acknowledged. However, by giving a woman recognition for just the shallow shell of a fading attribute and no more is just as demeaning as giving her no recognition at all. Though many men still find it hard to reconcile beauty and intelligence in the same female, there is no doubt at all that women will soon be on equal par with their male counterparts - in relationships and in the office.

We've sure come a long way baby, but we still have such a long way to go. The same Washington Post pullout, which was created and edited by women, termed their section, "A Few Who Made a Difference." This celebration of women has become a spotlight for just the exceptional women - the doctors, legislators and activists. What about the everyday Jane? She is just as spectacular as a Susan B. Anthony or a Mae Jemison. We should be celebrating all women. We should be celebrating the stay-at-home moms and the women working at the local Wal-Mart too.

Women are faced with the daunting task of juggling family, house, relationships, and career. Though I feel this was much easier when communities were tight clans of trusted family and friends who helped with childrearing and the day-to-day dramas of life. Today, many women are not only alienated from their families because of cross-country moves, but they are also juggling a demanding career that most likely still produces guilt for time stolen from the family. I often wonder if men ever struggle with this same guilt while they build their careers. There are also many women who are raising their families alone. The father sometimes abandons her and other times she chooses for her own well being to end a bad relationship. Either way, it is not easy to raise a family alone - yet so many women do it everyday. These women are some of the strongest women I've ever come across and I applaud their fortitude and sheer will.

Women are beautiful. I'll give that much to the stereotypical chauvinists. We are beautiful on the outside AND on the inside. We are also so much more. We are meek yet highly intelligent. We are masters of organization and free spirited lovers of nature. We are the nurturers of the young and the hardnosed bitches of the boardroom. We are serious about building a financially solid future yet have no problem spending a hefty chunk on a pair of quality shoes. Are we a paradox? No, we're just a multi-faceted life form capable of a variety of roles at the same time.

So here's to you woman! I lift my cup up in your honor. You can be anything you want to be now. That is an awesome statement that your mother or grandmother could not have said with the surety that you can say it. Our future looks just as bright as our past is dark. Ching! (wine glasses clinking together) Have a great Women's History Month.