I’m a survivor!

Today is a celebration for women all around the world,
Ladies who’ve dared to dream big, ever since they were little girls.
For the diversity and talent that lie within a feminine heart,
For the courage and determination that prevents us falling apart.

We can raise families and build businesses and be proud of all we’ve achieved
Where once over, visions of that scale, could never have been believed.
Ladies, stand up and be counted, smile at how far we have come
And Cherish every single day, as daughter, wife, companions or mum.

Don’t let anybody tell you that there are set paths for you to follow
As a little girl with a passion, is an inspiring woman of tomorrow.
So celebrate all women, and acknowledge the great things they do
And tell a lady close to your heart, just how much she means to you.

As i prepared to write this post, i was watching my all time favourite entertainer…my G.O.A.T—> Queen Bey. Funny enough, she was performing one of her hit 2004 songs, Survivor. Something about the words of the song, her energy in that performance gave me the right words for this post, especially on a day as this.

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY!!!

It has been such a beautiful day seeing the outpour of love from all, for women. It’s a great time to be a woman! Women have been known to be looked down upon, and this did not start now…but even way back when King Ahasuerus was a ruler…yes back in 486 BC. I want to shed light on a woman who is not often spoken of in a positive light….Queen Vashti.

Though the end of her reign lead to the beginning of the journey of one of my favourite women in the Bible(Esther), Queen Vashti gives us much to learn from.

Who was she?

• Queen Vashti was the Queen of Persia, and the first wife of Persian ruler, King Ahasuerus. Her name Vashti means ‘Beautiful woman’. She is known for refusing to come before the King and his men.

In Esther 1:10-12, “¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus,¹¹ to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown,^[b] in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at.¹² But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.”

According to that tradition, Queen Vashti refused because she did not want to be put on display before a group of drunken men. We all know what drunken are like, and i am sure she had an idea of it. However, it is likely that Vashti refused to appear because she would have been humiliated in some way. The king and his men had been feasting and drinking for seven days. It is almost assured that they did not have noble intentions in calling her to the party.

For seven whole days, these men drank and celebrated without requesting for the queen, and it wasn’t until the king was drunk, he remembered his queen. He didn’t deem her worthy until he was ‘merry with wine’. 

A summary i read made this comment, “Queen Vashti was told to appear “wearing her royal crown,” and one rabbinical tradition interprets this as the king’s instruction to wear only her royal crown—in other words, she was told to appear in the nude.”

I admire this queen mainly because she stood her ground, she refused to display her lovely face and figure before the lustful eyes of a drunken court; and though she was punished later, her dignity was intact. She must be celebrated!

A lesson we must all learn as women is that, though we are supposed to submit to our husbands, we also need to know when a line is drawn, and when to stand our ground, and remain firm. We have been walked over for too long, and i believe its time to be heard. We are survivors!

I pray we will all be as bold and confident as Foxxy Cleopatra in this gif! 😉

Judy.