“When [the Buddha] was attacked verbally by a detractor, all he replied was “Thank you. I cannot take these words because they do not belong to me.” ~ Harish

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Who would have thought that out of the muck and mire of the recent election would come two women who have given us shining examples of what First Lady Michelle Obama was referring to when she said, “When they go low, we go high.”

Nancy O’Dell and Arianne Zucker are two women Donald Trump was referring to in his now-infamous video: “grab ‘em by the p*ssy.” They are the women he demeaned, depersonalized and dismissed as mere objects to be used and or abused by him.

They are also the individual women who represent the way the Donald Trumps of the world feel about women in general and when the video was released, I can only imagine the many ways they might have responded to it.

“How can he talk about me that way?” “How dare he?” “What kind of a monster is he?”

They could have reviled Trump, maligned Trump, pointed their fingers back at Trump, and otherwise, lowered themselves to his level.

But they didn’t do that.

Echoing the words of Obama, instead of going low, they went high, and in the process, they modeled self-respect, confidence, maturity, and even equanimity in the face of the most obtuse statements.

“Politics aside, I’m saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all…It was disappointing to hear such objectification of women. The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments…Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender.” ~ Nancy O’Dell.

Arianne Zucker then made a statement on what author and spiritualist Don Miguel Ruiz teaches when he says that, “Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”

“It’s not about me,” said Zucker quite simply.

“I am a strong, independent, hard working mother, business woman and partner to a great man. I have grown to learn that the words of others cannot effect (sic) the value of my self worth or define the content of my character…In understanding the magnitude of this situation, I choose to stand tall with self respect and use my voice to enrich, inspire and elevate the best of who we are as people.” ~ Arianne Zucker

I am personally grateful for such role-modeling from competent, intelligent, women who were thrown into the spotlight in a way that they would not have chosen. I am grateful for their grace under fire and for their ability to “not allow the words of someone else to define the content of [their] character.”

I am proud of them and of how they represent so many millions of women who are just like them; “hardworking, business women, partners to great men,” as well as mothers of the children who will shape the future of society.

The articulate, compassionate and thoughtful ways they responded to the Trump situation hold me up in my struggles as a woman in a society which does not value me as equal because of my gender—I celebrate the breath of fresh air they brought to an otherwise dank and foul-smelling dialogue.

These are women who I aspire to. They are women like so many millions of others who I applaud

Well done, Nancy O’Dell and Arianne Zucker!

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Author: Carmelene Siani

Images: Greg Hernandez & Olive Coco Mag/Wikipedia, Youtube 

Editor: Catherine Monkman