How often do women bow down and weep because they cannot cope anymore?
Cope-ability has always been a very dear topic discussed by women, not only in Sarawak but all over the world.
In s male dominated society most women are asked to solve their own problems or so many women are hardened not to care. A simple statement like, “YOu should be able to cope…” without much thinking.
I was once weeping away because I received some bad news in a very cold dark staff room as I was the last to leave and lock up. A colleague came in and saw me. She left immediately by saying, “I have to go home to cook.” I was left desperate and almost could not drive home. I wept because I was unable to cope with the bad news as well as a lot of “home work” school work to be taken home and household chores.
My prayer then was to ask God just to give me a hug.
The pain was greater because I could not forgive the colleague who seemed so uncaring and callous. I wept again because of disappointment with another woman. From time to time after that I pray often that women are more MINDFUL of other women.
First, women today have their own career. They have to cope with job environment and everything it entails like office politics, communication issues, fairness in allocation of work,etc.
Secondly, women have to cope with family concerns if she is married. And it is more difficult if she belongs to the sandwich age, when she has her own aging parents and in laws above, and her own children to take care of.
Thirdly, women have to cope with her own SELf. Is she OK? Can she cope with her own inner struggles to self and healthy being?
There are so many other concerns which need a lot of intelligences for her to cope with like ability to drive around her space, and underground car parks, to cope with difficult people and strangers, to solve intra personal problems, to cope with broken things in the house, to cook a 5 course dinner, to decorate her house to welcome guests, etc. She might be overwhelmed by all these daily.
Personally when woemn just cannot seem to cope, it is best to have quiet times to read the Bible or to read a poem. Wear those verses as an armour and march forward.
We should be thankful to all those women writers whom God has given talents to…for their writings do uplift our spirits.
May I ever practice self-control,
May I learn to be patient and kind;
May I meet my problems with wisdom;
If I do, I will have peace of mind.
May I keep my temper every day;
May I be honest and fair and brave;
May calmness cover me, as a cloak,
That my own self-respect I may save.
When I give way to anger and fear,
And when to passions I am a slave,
I am harming my body and soul
That my God, in His love, to me gave.
~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, “When I Am Master of My Soul” (1940s)
A Thank YOU to women writers who have helped women lift their spirits.