JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
We have been hearing more and more about the contributions women have and continue to make in our nation and world as we celebrate Women's History Month. I am glad that we have observances where we can acknowledge the individuals which make us a collection of diverse Americans. For many years we did not truly reflect on the contributions of women.
The first fact is; without women, none of us would be here. I think that's enough to be grateful for. They have been our nurturers, in-home physicians, guidance counselors, and community leaders. Yet, women weren't allowed to vote in elections until 1920. One thing that I admire about our country is our ability to look at ourselves and make adjustments.
Some of my greatest life lessons have come from gaining a woman's perspective on life. I believe we do ourselves a disservice when we don't open ourselves up to a different point of view. Whether you believe men are from Mars and women are from Venus is not the issue; the main thing is that we should appreciate different points of view, no matter who it comes from. Just look at how our country has grown because we have included women and other groups in our grand dialogue.
Women have gone from not being able to vote, to being viable candidates for the most challenging positions our country has to offer. This time of reflection is beyond Women's History Month, I submit it's about challenging yourself to get to know and better understand someone who is not like you. Our strength is our diversity. You can see it all over the world how countries that exclude parts of their population struggle internally and externally. So never forget that we are a better nation because we truly understand women's history is our history.