Today, I especially celebrate my mother, Agnes, who loves me far more than I can say. Let me say something about her. Like Lincoln, I dare to say that I owe everything to my angel mother. She did not not only sit and watch my infant head, nor were she only always there for me; she provided me a ‘balanced love’, exactly the quantity I needed to turn out a great kid. I especially remember two interesting episodes with my mum. At the age of less than 10, about 7 I think, she gave me the beating of my life in an open market; it took the market women some time to rescue me. That was allowed in the 20th century when I was born, but the 21st century now brands her action child abuse. Truth be told, I deserved that beating and I’m better for it; no amount of talking would have corrected me. Again, as a primary school pupil, 5am was my rising time, as joining her to church every morning wasn’t optional for me. Others could stay back in bed, but never me.

And so, my mother’s life instilled in me respect and admiration for women. I see her in every woman. In fact, the wonder of every woman’s being moves me to heartfelt praise to God their creator. How better would the world have been without them? Adding my testimony to that of God, it was never a good idea that the man should be alone. I like to immediately revisit the Garden of Eden episode, where women got the infamous and notorious reputation for being the reason why things fell apart. In truth, Eve was true to her calling, she wanted to see her man to the next level on the scheme of things; she wanted to move the family of Adam & Eve from humanity to divinity. Was this not a noble aspiration? Of course, her action was sin but her intention informs us to be fair in our condemnation of her. How would God have become man if not for Eve, even? And then she kept some of the fruit for Adam; Adam shows up to partake in the eating; God shows up to do the cursing.

Have you bothered to reflect on the role of Adam in the Fall? Methinks that Adam is to blame, and God himself gives us clues as to why he is to blame. The woman receives the fruit and eats it, and she neither goes naked nor calls God’s attention. Adam shows up and joins in the eating, and they both go naked and attract God’s attention. Didn’t God know that it was Eve who set the ball rolling in the first place? If he’s omniscient, and he is, and so knew it was Eve all along, why then did he fire the question at Adam? Fact is, he expected more from Adam; Adam should have known better; Adam should have guided Eve aright. But he didn’t. So, why are the children of Adam, my fellow men, taking it out on women? That’s not fair.

Having attempted to lift that pristine blame, I now wish to announce that women are a dignified set. Fact. One may not fully understand this until one sincerely tries to imagine what life would have been without women. For me, miserable is the word. The whole motherhood argument, that is, the argument that women deserve respect because they’re our mothers, is too obvious and simple. All mad men probably know that. But there is more. Even the mere fact of their being around is something great. When we see them, when we hear them, when we feel them, when we smell them, and even when we [taste] them, we feel something out of the ordinary. We’re ready to take a bullet for them; an entire country called Troy was wiped out because two men wanted a woman. We appear to be ready to do anything in the arms of a woman…

Personally, I try to be objective, I try to be realistic, and I try never to forget the one woman who loves me more than I can say and the fact that many a woman shares those same attributes for which I hold her so dear. Again, I try never to deceive myself, too. If at the end of the day I’m sure to hook up with a woman, get married to her, and get to rank her only second to God my God, it is high time I started getting used to appreciating and celebrating womanhood. And today, International Women’s Day, is a good day to start.

Gentlemen, let’s pop some champagne on our women!