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International Women's Day

This month, the theme is about traveling. And so I wanted to share a story about a little teddy bear who is making the journey across the world to Kazakhstan, where many women there and all across the world are celebrating International Women's Day on March 8.

For some, it's like a combined Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, where men give thanks to the women in their lives. In some countries, it's to show how important women are to society.

I loved how in Italy, the men traditionally give yellow mimosas to their loved ones. And in Russia, yellow mimosas and chocolates.

In some countries, the women get to take the day off from work. We were talking about how many businesses here would be WAY understaffed if women were able to stay home for a day. :) And we were all for it!!!

I congratulate our sisters around the world, who have worked so hard to carve out a place in society. And I salute our own Sourcebooks' publisher and CEO Dominique Raccah, who is a shining example of what women can offer to the world, in a field where men so often dominate.

I'm grateful to the individual in Kazakhstan for reminding me of this, and wish all the best to those in countries all around the globe who will celebrate on this special day.

As we create our romance stories, the women are not wilting flowers who have no place in the world. They have goals and dreams that are every bit as important as the men in their lives. And in our stories, the men cherish and respect this.

So I salute the women of the world, and the men who love them.

If we celebrated an International Women's Day, what would make it special for you?

Terry Spear
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."
www.terryspear.com

Comments

  1. I'm kind of stuck on the mimosas. Where do the men in Russia get them? Mimosas won't be in bloom here until July.

    Can mimosas be forced into bloom like azaleas? Sounds expensive to cultivate. Mimosas don't bloom until the tree is mature.

    And why mimosas anyway?

    Okay I'll get off it. Happy International Women's Day, everyone.

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  2. I have no idea, MM! :) Or why that kind of flower, but I thought it was neat. :)

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  3. Mary Margret, maybe they mean the champagne cocktail, not the flower! That would be easier...and kinda fun.
    Me, I'd rather have chocolate:)

    Nice post, Judi!

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  4. Joanne,that was what I was thinking initially!!! I'm with you though on preferring the chocolate! :)

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  5. Great post, Terry! What an interesting holiday; I liked hearing about the different gifts!

    Flowers, drinks, chocolate--I'll take any of them ;)

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  6. Thanks, Danielle! And lol about taking them all. No sense in being choosy! :)

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  7. Happy International Women's Day to all the women of the world. What a neat celebration. I think the work force as we know it couldn't function if every woman stayed home at the same time.

    A special thanks to the Sourcebooks and of you ladies who write for giving us such great women to read about.

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  8. I think so too, Mason! And thanks! I'm thrilled you love our stories! :)

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  9. A few years my Portuguese friend invited me to celebrate International Women's Day with the women in her family. It was amazing. We met at a restaurant, everyone exchanged presents, they handed out roses and toasted to our mothers and daughters. We did way too many shots (good thing Ana's daughter, a freshman in college, was our designated driver). It was her first IWD party and it was a real coming of age thing. The camaraderie was wonderful, we celebrated woman's relationship to women. Can you imagine our lives without our "sisters"? I can't and this holiday is a great way to celebrate those women we love.

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  10. Hi, Terry,

    I've learnt something new today! I haven't heard of International Women's Day before, but I like the idea. Especially if it's another excuse to eat chocolate :)

    Hugs,
    Monique
    Author of Divorce Etiquette, Let's Pretend, and More Than a Playboy.

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  11. mimosas and champagne would do it for me. And a trip to a day spa. :)

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  12. and I mean the champagne kind of mimosas.

    hmmm... I have some champagne and orange juice in the fridge and since I'm sick, I can justify the oj for the vitamin C and the alcohol to kill the germs.

    yep, that'll work.

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  13. For International Women's Day, I think we should get to sit back, drink mimosas, eat chocolate, and watch a parade of hunks in Speedos. It's only fitting....

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  14. Since I love flowers and champagne I'll take the mimosas either way!

    I love the fact that other countries celebrate women and our immense contribution to this wounderful world.

    Amelia

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  15. When I lived in Okinawa, they had a boys' day. I noticed tons of kites flying and asked my dad why. He said a lot of families flew kites with their sons in celebration. When I asked when it was girls' day, and he told me they didn't have one, I got indignant, cause how unfair was that? So it's so very nice to hear about women's day, Terry! Thanks for a great post!

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  16. Fun post, Terry! Maybe I'll go ahead and celebrate all by myself.

    Judi, I think your champagne and orange juice prescription is exactly what any good doctor would suggest. Have an extra one for me!

    Tawna

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  17. Hey, Robin, that sounds like so much fun!!! Good thing you had a designated driver! I like the idea of roses and toasts. LOL :)

    Hi, Monique! And thanks! Any day for any reason is a good day to have chocolate in my book! :)

    Judi, hope you get to feeling better! But sure, OJ and germ-fighting champagne should work. Truthfully though, I prefer my champagne straight up, not diluted. :)

    Oh, Cheryl, I can see you sitting there with a big grin on your face, taking notes. :)

    Amelia, I so agree, both about flowers and drinks and recognizing women in a special way.

    Hey, Kathryn, I so agree! I didn't know that either!

    Thanks, Tawna! No reason we can't celebrate by ourselves! I think I'll do something for the ladies at work on Monday. :) But we'll include our temporary guy, since he's such a special part of our group too. :)

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  18. Terry, I was so happy to see your announcement of a post about Women's Day. I had the privilege of being invited to a Women's Day celebration when I traveled to Minsk, Belarus, on business, ten years ago.

    Although we went to the lab to work that day, it was an easy going day. At noon we were invited to a luncheon by the director. Children sang and recited poems. I wish I could understand Russian. I was offered a few gifts by the director and the colonels who worked with us. (I still have them.)No flowers. They are too expensive in winter. We closed the lab early so that the men could go home and take their wives or ladies to dinner.

    I spent four years traveling to Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine where they all celebrate Women's Day.

    I have a scene in my coming book Rx in Russian where the Belarusian hero invites the American heroine to dinner to celebrtae Women's Day.

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  19. Thanx for the interesting post, Terry!

    Hey, I'm all for either kind of mimosa, or BOTH! ;-) And plenty of chocolate! Always chocolate...

    AC

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  20. Oh, wow, Mona, I'm so glad you commented. How exciting for you! And so very interesting! :) What a nice way to celebrate, to let the men off early to do something special with their special some one. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Lol, AC, yes double doses of chocolate always is important. :)

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  21. Thanks for your interesting post! I did not know about women's day - but if it has anything to do with chocolate you can bet it's going to be on my calendar in the future!

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  22. Glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! Thanks!

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