Below the Belt: A Biweekly Column by NOW President Kim Gandy

Eat, Drink and Be Merry . . . For Tomorrow We Fight!

December 17, 2004

This morning my windshield was covered in a frosty pattern that looked like a lace tablecloth, reminding me that we are in the holiday season and this is a time to remember the things that warm and brighten our lives — like the love of friends and family.

So I have put aside my list of "horribles," which gets longer every day, because you already have your own list and don't need me reminding you that our health, our rights, and our democracy are teetering on the brink. You were there with us marching in April, you've stood with us against regressive legislation and Neanderthal judicial nominees, you helped register and turn out voters, you shared our outrage at the voter intimidation and suppression in this last election. You know as well as I do how important this next year will be for the future of women's rights and status in society. And like us, you're probably pretty tired from a very long year.

So here is our wish for you from the NOW officers and staff: Have a wonderful holiday.

Do something nice for yourself. Spend time with the people you love, celebrate the things that are important in your life. Make sure you rest, relax, and recharge — because we're going to need all our collective strength in the year ahead. The issues coming up are too numerous to mention, the below-the-belt hits will be fast and furious, and we will be calling upon you to stand with us, to stand up for your rights, and maybe even to stand outside a federal building with a sign. Every single one of us will be needed, every single call or letter to a member of Congress will count, and every single day will bring fresh challenges. The next four years are going to be tough, so we must be tougher.

Until then, rest. Relax — but with a purpose. Think of it as gathering strength for the battle ahead. If you are a runner, you know that you don't go out running the night before a marathon. You eat well, stretch, do something you enjoy and get plenty of sleep. Let us follow this example, for we will certainly be running hard in the New Year.

Luckily, it will be a relay race, not an individual mad dash. We will all be there to support and inspire each other, to share both the tears and the laughter, and to remind each other of Susan B. Anthony's last public words:

"With women such as these consecrating their lives, failure is impossible."

In sisterhood,

Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women