My husband and I have a family of seven children: one son and six daughters. When we married, our oldest two, the son and one daughter, were already launched. But we had five teenage girls at home for quite a few years. In a main area of our house (ok, the main bathroom) we had a plaque reading: “Here’s to good women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
“Good” does not necessarily mean well-behaved, although certainly doesn’t exclude that option. “Good” embodies those qualities which come to mind with the terms “good citizen” and “productive member of society”. It ropes in qualities and traits that seem to be in short supply: honorable, faithful, loving, peaceful, joyful, patient, kind, gentle, self-controlled, generous – you get the idea. Things we are exhorted to in, for example, Ephesians.
I say “seem to be in short supply” because of the inundation of reports of bad behavior. Everyday another scandal, another accusation, another reason to shake our heads and mutter, “what is the world coming to”.
In this season, I am pausing. Pausing, to remember the overwhelming number of people that I know and have known, who are “good”. Not perfect, but good. Who strive to live in ways that are unremarkable only because they are not gossip-worthy. People I am proud to call friends, and people I don’t know but hear about, quietly going about their business and getting things done. People I call family.
Here’s to good women and good men.
Just Sayin' 
Yes. Indeed.