Dear Women,

Thank you…



Thank you, women. Thank you for so many things. If I could make a list of the things to thank you for, it would be longer than the list that I made of things that JC has to thank us for, and if you read my Open Letter To Jefferson City, then you know exactly how long it is. Ha ha, what can I say that hasn’t already been said by some other person? Really, you just have a way of doing things, ladies, that mesmerizes. I honestly don’t know how you do it. The way you can take any situation and make it work somehow. Whether it be my mother striving as a single mother with three kids and one salary, or that lighter-than-air feeling you get when your girl turns a crappy day into the best day ever just by saying “Hey?” Yeah, women have got it like that. I won’t use the rest of this piece to try and explain it, but I will use it list my favorite things about women and exactly what makes “her” special. (Oh no, here I go again with the metaphor thing!)


The first thing that catches my attention about women is their strength. It amazes me still when I think about all of the things you have to deal with. The childbirth thing alone would do it for me, but you raise the children, care for your spouse, care for the house and countless other things I forget. Take my mother, for example; when she gave birth to me, she wasn’t sure if she could make it alone. Now, here she is with three kids, striving and surviving. That’s incredible to think of, isn’t it? And my grandmother, I couldn’t say enough about what she’s done. She lives about 50 miles away in Mexico, MO, and she never did hesitate when she had to come and watch us. When my mom had a business trip to take, in comes grandma to take care of us, on the drop of a hat, too, last minute at times. She’s always had our back, and I can’t thank her enough for that. In my younger, more ignorant years, I made it a point to try and prove to her that I was right. It must have been my age, because even at seventeen, it seems really, really stupid. Why do we sometimes feel the need to be right all the time. Even now, I feel that same feeling creeping up behind me. I’ve learned a fool-proof way to solve it though - keep my mouth shut. It works pretty well.


Another thing worth noting: her smile. And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, guys. You may not have to think back too far, but think back to when you were having the crappiest of crappy days. Nothing seemed to be going your way, you’ve tried everything by yourself to try and improve it (basically, if you were in a cartoon, you would have one of those funky-looking clouds hanging over your head) but nothing seemed to do the trick? And then, out of nowhere, here she comes, flashing that big smile of hers. And then you think, Well, I guess it could be worse. Wait, what am I thinking? I’m supposed to be having the worst day ever, and I’ll be damned if… Then you look up and she’s still smiling and you just try to keep from smiling yourself. In vain, of course, but you try anyway. Now, from one guy to the rest, and as a guy who has been through this scenario many times firsthand, you all know that this is more or less what would happen. That’s why I took the time to write it down in “Picture This” fashion. You can call me out on it, tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, I don’t care. I just know that usually, when I’m in a funk, I can get out of it pretty easily, but then there are days when I just stay in it just because. Guys tend to do that every now and again; maybe we just feel the need to keep up some kind of image. “I‘m pissed, so stay out of my way if you know what‘s good for you.” (Yeah, it even sounds crazy when I say it.) Thank God, ladies, we have you close by. You sort of force us out of that funk, whether we like it or not.


And what trips me out the most about all of this is that it’s all so effortless for you. Your strength, your tolerance, your ingenuity; it all seems to flow together in a way that the greatest minds on the planet couldn’t fathom. Many people ask of my mother, “How does she do it?” How? Because she’s got it like that, and after that, nothing more need be said. Seldom is there a time when I would be stuck on a homework problem or a paper or hit the Writers’ Block wall and didn’t have the slightest idea what to do. In walks Mom who says, “Why don‘t you try doing this…”

“Hmm,” I say, “I never thought of doing it that way.”

“That‘s why I‘m the momma.”

Yes, yes it is, and it’s also why I’m writing this letter. Talents such as the ones I’ve listed are more than worthy of recognition and, quite frankly, I don’t mind being the one to put it in motion, so to say.


But even that’s not saying much. As a writer, and an artist, I can’t help but feel that everything I do, say or create has, in some way shape or form, been done by someone else. Really, I’m just a messenger; everything I’ve said in this piece thus far has been dreamt up by some other, very wise, person. My job, as a messenger, is to bring it to you in a new, fresh, inventive way that even the originator of the idea might not have thought to do. What I did different here? I spoke from my heart instead of writing for a psychology book. I wrote exactly how I feel and tried to be pretty blunt about what I thought women brought to the table. It was a letter full of my opinions; nothing more, nothing less. My main opinion is this: women, I thank God everyday that you are here. Without you, this world would probably be nothing more than what TV is right now - a vast wasteland filled with nothing but ignorant, violent, non-thinking dill weeds who would sooner blow each other sky high than resort to any kind of diplomacy.


So, thank you, women. Thank you for a lot of things. Just being there would be enough to be thankful for but just look at all you do. Caring, attentive, assertive when you need to be, strong, in tune with everything around you, the list goes on people. Even if I allowed myself to ramble aimlessly - which is never a good idea - I probably would fall short somewhere. What can I say ladies…you got me open. There, I said it! I’m seventeen for God’s sake; I’m three years too old to front about much of anything. I just don’t care. To any guy reading this, don’t hesitate; take every chance to tell your girl exactly how you feel. It just might make a better man out of you. And to the women, keep doing what you’re doing. Because you are really, really good at it.


Much love and respect,


Kyle G.