Strong Women

by Michele Boy | March 9, 2023

I am writing this on International Women’s Day.  I think about how far women have come but I also love that Syracuse has always had women at the forefront. The first all female Syracuse City Council was in 1887. We have had women mayors, sheriffs, judges, and farm hands. 
We are teachers, mothers, cattle ranchers. We drive buses, tractors, combines, and feed children. We are business owners. We are on the County Commissioners, City Council, Fair Board, Hospital Board, Library Board, and more. We volunteer for 4-H and help coach our kids. 
Being pro women doesn’t mean anti men. In my opinion we are a team.  And only when we work together for the good of our community do we have harmony. 
Not to say there haven’t been challenges. 
Once upon a time women couldn’t get their own credit cards. I know of a woman who tried to join FFA and ride her horse but was directed to sewing and cooking. Once upon a time police were called on my father when he was hurting my mother on the street. They didn’t ask him to stop. They told him to take it inside. When she tried to leave him, he would get her fired from her jobs. 
Eventually she just left. And left us too. 
I am sharing the good and the bad today because that is life. 
Wherever you are today you are excelling and you face challenges.
 Right now I am receiving a number of texts, phone calls, and messages because I am sharing information.
 I have to laugh that people think it came from a gossip circle, a tip off from employees, or from family members. 
I sat in a meeting and the information came across my table. 
 I am for this community and proud to be a Syracusan. 
 Last week I wrote about our hospital. My initial reaction about building a hospital was NO!
When I heard the hospital explain the what and the why, I understood more of why discussion on the issue is important. 
I am proud to offer information in this newspaper. I do NOT take a stance on something. If I don’t share about it, I probably don’t know about it. 
 So here on International Women’s Day, I am proud to offer information. Not for or against, just information. Do I share more positive stories than negative? Yes. 
Seeing our children succeed, seeing Syracusans succeed, makes me proud. 
 At a ball game, I saw an elementary student pull a Syracuse Journal out of his back pocket. He had a picture of himself. He was showing it to a friend beaming proudly. 
  I want to thank all the women today on International Women’s Day. I want to thank the men in their lives who support them. 
I want to raise a glass to them. Tonight? LOL! 
 Thank you to all who are raising this next generation. Strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them!