It’s International Women’s Day so I wanted to write a little in appreciation for the strong, caring, fierce and beautiful women who have shaped my life.
First, I’m blessed to have a strong and caring mother who has always supported me. One of the countless things she’s taught me is that life can be, and often is, bullshit, but that’s no reason to not revel in joy and love and silliness. In fact, maybe it’s a reason to exalt those things even more. I also have a close aunt who is a de facto second mother who has shown me the strength and courage it takes to care for others, perhaps more than any other woman I know, as well as the courage to be vulnerable and let others take care of you. I come from a family of strong women (although, really, is there any family without strong women there to hold it together?), and while these two had the greatest impact on me, they are by no means the only ones I admire.
And, like many, the majority of teachers I’ve had in my life are women. They provided knowledge and guidance to me and countless other students under increasingly constrictive and selfless circumstances (I’m from North Carolina, remember, where average teacher pay just exceeded $50,000 for the first time).
I’ve also had many great bosses and mentors that are women. They are strong leaders and successful business owners who see the value of their staff not only as employees but as individuals, and know that supporting their staff is one of the keys to success.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all of my friends and colleagues in their 20s and 30s who I see coming into their power as women. Who unflinchingly support me and others, and fight for what they believe in while navigating their own struggles of early adulthood.
When I look back on the people who have had the biggest impact and/or who I admire most, they’re mostly women. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Not just because I am a woman myself, but because women have traditionally taken on the roles of both nurturers and changemakers. Every woman I know, at some, if not several, points in her life, has suffered privately while putting on a brave, positive face in order to support someone else, whether that be someone they love, or just to hold shit together for everyone. I’ve seen women lead with strength and experience while still holding space for others to grow and find what’s best for them. Women in my life have championed the unmeasureable values, things like connection, justice, creativity, joy, that are so often undervalued simply because they are unmeasureable, yet are some of the best parts of being human.
I’m not going to get into gender theory or female vs. male traits. Suffice it to say that very little in life is black and white and everyone has something to learn from the women in their lives. This women’s day, I encourage you to not only honor the countless women who have fought for the rights of women, minorities and other marginalized groups, and those that just made the world a better place. But to also think about the women in your life, what they have taught you and how they inspire you to be a better person.
Flourishing 