For Women's History Month, honor trailblazers by setting the bar high | Opinion

I grew up in a Christian and feminist home. From my father I learned “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” From Mom I learned “All have sinned and fallen short of Gloria Steinem.”

March is Women’s History Month. The Bible sat beside Steinem’s Ms. magazine on our family coffee table in my childhood home. Both offered lofty ideals to which we might aspire. One definition of sin is “to miss the mark.” Both the scripture and our monthly subscription reminded us to aim high.

On Market Square we have a statue of three suffragists ‒ Lizzie Crozier French from Knoxville, Anne Dallas Dudley of Nashville and Elizabeth Avery Meriwether of Memphis ‒ who helped raise the aspirations of women everywhere. Since ours was the last state needed to amend the U.S. Constitution to grant women the right to vote, it is fitting that we have a Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial. The outsized contributions of these women remind us that we could all work harder to hit the mark.

If I have made any significant contribution to the cause of democracy in my lifetime it was by introducing aspiring leaders to Bee DeSelm, a member of my congregation of blessed memory. In 1976 Bee and Mary Lou Horner became the first women elected to the Knox County Commission. Bee was a Republican, but she was willing to mentor anyone interested in running for office regardless of their party. She felt everyone should know the basic skills of politics, organizing, door-to-door campaigning, fundraising, listening skills, local history lessons and important contacts. Some of my referrals have gone on to be school board members, county commissioners and City Council members. Bee DeSelm was a good teacher.

Once my wife, Suzanne, picked up a book, "Susan B. Anthony: Biography of a Singular Feminist," I ordered from a bookstore. When the sales clerk learned who it was for, her jaw dropped. “This book is for your husband!” she said.

My brothers were interested in cars and trucks. I guess my interests have been heavily influenced by my mother. When Susan B. Anthony was asked about her spirituality, she said she prayed every moment of her life, not only with her words but with her work. Her prayer was for equal rights. Her work was her worship.

The scriptures teach, “The wind blows wherever it will, you hear the sound, but do not know where it is coming from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." This verse is how I know my mother, Patte Mitchell, was born of the Spirit. For most of my life I had no idea where she was coming from or where she was going. However, she was always organizing, stepping up, speaking out and leading on the important issues of the day. She was a whirlwind of energy. Like the suffragists of an earlier era, her life was a breath of fresh air.

There is an old joke, “A person walked into a bar … so I guess the bar was set too low.” Women’s History Month is a good time to remember the trailblazers who have gone before us whose lives remind us to always set the bar high.

Chris Buice is minister of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Opinion: For Women's History Month, honor trailblazers and aim high