Strong Women Needed!

Meet my BaBa!  BaBa is Ukrainian for “Grandmother”.  

Dokia Kuprowski was born in Ukraine and emigrated to Canada in the late 1890’s. As a child I loved to visit BaBa on the prairies of Canada. Of course, we hung out in the kitchen attached to the straw and mud-covered walled house. The kitchen’s floor was always shiny but that’s because it too was made of mud and the traffic kept it compacted. No need to wash that floor!  Lol.

BaBa had 11 children and apparently gave birth to 10 of them while working in the field. Can you imagine? What a strong woman! As you can see from the photo, BaBa was very tall and muscular probably from boosting large bales of hay into the haywagon and lifting heavy stones into the stone boat. 

Women back then had to be strong both physically and spiritually. They cooked, cleaned, kept huge gardens (no stores around for miles), carried water by hand from the well, harvested the fruits and veggies, canned the food for consumption during cold winter months, did farm chores, planted fields, raised their children, went to church on Sundays and valiantly bore many children despite medical attention not being close by.

One remarkable story took place on January 9, 1923. BaBa was a mid-wife who helped many women deliver their babies. However, on this day the safe birth of her own baby was in jeopardy so she sent Gido (Ukrainian for “Grandfather”) to fetch the doctor. It took a full day for the doctor and Gido to arrive by horse and buggy.  

When the Doctor arrived he supported BaBa as she painfully gave birth. The Doctor, thinking that the baby was stillborn, threw the baby against the wall in a desperate attempt to save BaBa’s life.

But what happened next was extraordinary. Baby started to cry! Apparently she was not dead after all! Perhaps throwing her against the wall brought her back to life. BaBa recovered and so did the baby. Thank God or I would not be here today because that baby was my mother.

Fast forward now to 2018. In most nations today, women continue to be suppressed, oppressed and are reluctant to be leaders.  

“The greatest gift to man is woman, but the greatest gift to woman is herself.”
 ― C.C. Campbell, The Stolen Light of Women: A Quest for Spiritual Truth Beyond Religion

Strong women are needed. Women who:

~ are committed to return our planet to a nurturing one versus a violent one.

~ courageously stand up and fight for the greater good.

~ give future generations what they deserve – a healthy planet.

~ spread positivity and put smiles on the faces of children (and adults!).

The fate of our planet depends upon humans who are both analytical and nurturing, who can easily see right from wrong and who magically, like a fairy, sprinkle gold dust into our eyes so that we can see clearly the best road forward. Women fit this job description.

BaBa kept many beehives. The first time I saw her with bees covering her body, I could not believe my eyes! She wore no protective clothing yet bees and BaBa were definitely enjoying each other’s company. Neither had any fear of the other! They lived in harmony. And so should it be, humans and nature living peacefully together.  

Women are Masters at living in harmony when we do not feel threatened - when we feel supported.

“Given the same honor and dignity as men, women can build a much better and more harmonious world.” ― Abhijit Naskar, The Bengal Tigress: A Treatise on Gender Equality

Here’s to strong women.

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we raise them.

~ author unknown