Breathe
By Areli Paz
Sorority: Love, care, respect and embrace among women.
Fairness: Fair treatment, seeing each other's eyes at the same height and distance. Same tone.
The day we all arrive, I look forward to seeing it.
When my sister and I fought, my mom would send us to a corner to reflect. She repeated that we only had each other and that we should be an alliance, not a confrontation.
In my family, women did have a voice. My great-grandmother, who was widowed, had to make a living selling Singer sewing machines. She became an exceptional saleswoman, indispensable to the brand in Mexico City.
I grew up applauding the success of the women in my family, listening to them and trying to follow their examples. But - there is always a but - the admiration and care deteriorated as I began my working life.
In a man's world you had to behave like one, you had to show character, you had to prove that you were not sensitive, that you could spend the same hours working without complaint, to raise your voice above others, to see them as competition in an Olympic track and field.
Fortunately, life brings you back to the origins and good habits. Taking care of the women around us is not just a habit, it is a daily obligation.
Some of my contemporaries are still trapped in mistreatment, humiliation and abuse of power. Surely, life will give them the time they need to recognize the women close to them.
To reach them all you have to call them by name, recognize their work, listen to them, pay attention to their needs, be empathetic with their ailments, look for them, care for them, respect them, make those who come after them not feel that it will be a struggle of egos, help them grow, help them multiply their resources, recommend them, empower them, tell them that it is possible, legislate for them if it is your life mission, give them a place and respect their voice if you have greater opportunities.
If they sell something, buy it from them. If they write something, read it. If they change lives, promote them. If she's in danger, help her. If she needs a job, recommend her. If she is brilliant and successful, applaud her and share her success. Don't compare yourself, don't humiliate them, don't mock their weaknesses.
