Richard Akuson: Sister’s Keeper

While growing up, your parents must have probably taught you how to be your sister’s or brother’s keeper. They taught you how to share with each other; how to defend one another and how to care, respect and love yourselves. But how can you learn to love a total stranger as much as you love yourself or at the very least, your sibling? A person you most probably have no kind of obligation towards, whatsoever. How do you learn to look past their flaws and shortcomings while genuinely rooting for them beyond everything that might be wrong with them?

It is without doubt that some women are a lot to handle; (aren’t we all?) but should that warrant the way you disrespect them – whether in front of them or behind their backs? How can you learn to protect their interest without even knowing them or having to?

Often times, you find women talking with the most stereotypical and condescending tone about other women. Every successful woman has to either be a ‘runs’ girl or a daughter of a rich man or have a man somewhere footing the bills, (without of course leaving room for the self made and hardworking ones out there). Every single middle aged woman must have led a ‘wayward’ life hence her singleness (as if being unmarried is never a choice). How can we learn to give every woman a benefit of the doubt, without any kind of preconceived prejudice or bias?

How do we learn to support and cheer every woman around us, whether she’s a top financier or ‘just’ a ‘club girl’. How can you learn to correct the woman next to you, without breaking her confidence or self esteem? How do you learn to see the next woman just the same way you see yourself?

I’m always perplexed when I see women viciously antagonizing other women—to the amusement and pleasure of men of course. They’ll call the next girl names, run her down until they’ve literally pulled off every shred of dignity to her name, which leaves me wondering if there is ever a grievance that can warrant such venom.

We’ve all heard stories of that female boss who lives to make life practically impossible for her female subordinates. While she’s super nice and lenient with her male staff, she’ll literally spear no wrath when dealing with her female staff on the other hand. Consequently, you find women praying against the rise and progress of their fellow women or in some cases completely avoid establishments with female bosses simply because of that one bad apple—consequently creating a continuous circle of hate, contempt and disrespect among women.

Clearly there’s a need for a bigger conversation on this, on the importance of a new sisterhood that’s anchored on sisterly love and respect, that will ultimately make every woman recognize that there’s a problem and a need to fix it in oneness and love.

You must learn to truly and genuinely love and respect one another, just like our parents taught us.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Jhogan