In her poem “Sometimes” Mary Oliver offers her suggestions for living a life: “Pay attention./ Be astonished./ Tell about it.” By paying attention we are reminded to notice the beauty and wonder that surround us, as well as the things that are amiss. When we talk about those things, asking not only “Why?” but “How can I be part of making a difference?” change begins to happen. On this International Women’s Day, we commemorate women’s work for equality and liberation that began when some women paid attention to how they were sidelined in their societies, told others, and spurred an international movement toward equality.

Rev. Carol McKinley is a frequent and popular speaker at KUUF. She comes to us from the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation where she is an affiliated community minister.