Ahem -- to the ladies, a toast!

So, it is International Women's Day, so please only take the toast in the title as being both a genuine offering of respect, and also a commentary on the fact that the obsessively politically-correct and uber feminists find the term 'lady' to be demeaning, denigrating and outright insulting. I don't quite understand that, since I balk not at all at being considered a gentleman under most circumstances.
But, if I don't understand the abhorrence of the term 'lady', I equally don't understand misogyny as practiced by some of my own sex, not to mention some members of the female sex, ironically enough. I have always really liked women. No, not in that way. Oh, OK, in 'that' way too, but also in many other ways. I have been married to autonomous women. My wives have been professionals in their own right, and my current spouse is in the midst of getting her MBA, and I happen to think she is quite a brilliant human being. I'm used to women being in take charge positions. My boss for nearly 20 years was female, and it never really crossed my mind that I was subordinate to a female, because 'female' didn't enter into the equation. She was (and is) a talented and very hard-working person for whom I had, and still have, the utmost of respect.
In my family when I was growing up there were a number of professional women who were accomplished in many fields. One of my great aunts was a charter member of the Vancouver Business and Professional Women's Association, that was formed in 1918, or somesuch. I had another great aunt, who was a registered nurse, who divorced a drunken bum of a husband way back about the same time. So, you see, I'm used to tough broads, and I like them.
And, even in 'that' way, I've always found tough and forthright broads to be just a little darned alluring, and more so that mere girlie-girls because they know what they want.
At another level, in my particular political riding we have had three female MLAs over the years. At a personal level I like and respected them all, even if I didn't always agree with some of their political views.
So, I guess the bottom line is, gee whiz, I do like girls a whole lot, and I have female friends who range in age from 20 to over 80, and I value having them in my life.
So, to the women in my life, and all other women out there, long may you reign. You can be in charge whenever you want. You perhaps will do a better job than my own sex has done. Anyway, I've always harbored the sneaking suspicion that God is female. Progenitor of life, after all; makes sense, doesn't it?