Step by Step

I was reading about abortion and birth control int he 1930s, and I read this quote:

I have three living well grown loving daughters and have always had a reasonable rest between, thanks due entirely to my husband who never dreams of worrying my more than once or perhaps twice a month

This reminded me of something I'd read by Grace Paley. She was writing about her husband's mother, who was old and dying. She asked Grace Paley about Women's Lib. You should read Just As I Thought because I can't do justice to the whole conversation. I'll just quote the end of the piece:

She was tired. That's a lot, she said. Then she went upstairs to sleep.

In the morning she surprised us. She came down for breakfast. I couldn't sleep, she said. I was up all night thinking of what you said. You know, she said, there isn't a thing I've done in my life that I haven't done for some man. Dress up or go out or take a job or quit or go home or leave. Or even be quiet or say something nice, things like that. You know I as up all night thinking about you and especially those young women. I couldn't stop thinking about what wonderful lives they're going to have

My life is wonderful. It's a lot of other things, at times, but it is wonderful.

The only way I can give any meaning to what I have is to honour the struggles that went into getting it and keep fighting.