I know it has already been a month and even longer than that at this point that I have last posted something. My apologies for that. I am going to dive right into this post. This month is Women’s History Month. I wish we did not have to get a month out of the whole year because we should be celebrating women every single day of the year. Without women none of us would be here. I am proud to come from a strong line of women, especially my mom, who in my eyes is the very definition of a strong woman. She amazes me every single day. Without her I would not be here in this world. This post is not just about me, but about the women who came before me as well as the girls/women who will come after me. I want to start off with a quote by Amy Sherman-Palladino who says “Girl power in my mind is to let girls be exactly what they are. Let them be angry. Let them be resentful. And rebellious. Let them be hard and soft and loving and sad and silly. Let them be wrong. Let them be right. Let them be everything. because, they are everything.” In other words, girl power is all about letting them be who they truly want to be.
At the end of the day… girl power is all about women supporting women because often we get knocked down and tear each other apart. That is the most hurtful thing we can do because from the moment we are born we are pitted against each other and are taught that everything is a competition. Life is not a competition and that is a fact. That leads me to my next quote. “A strong woman is someone who raises other women up instead of tearing them down.” In other words the embodiment of a strong woman is one who lifts other women up instead of tearing them down. Here is one final quote and this one is from my favorite tennis player. Serena Williams says “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another, we’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” In other words, we should be everyone’s cheerleader, especially when they have success. I could go on and on about this subject but I will conclude here. This post and poem goes out to all the women I have come across in my lifetime, from my mom, to my sister, aunts, cousins, friends, co-workers, and even strangers who have showed me what a strong and successful woman looks like. This one is for you and I love every single one of you!
Girl Power
My dear, I see the pain and suffering in your eyes,
But you are the movers and shakers of the world.
You are the reason why I have the blood running in
My strong veins. Your pain is my pain and the guys?
They do not know what it is like to hold the curled
Words and watch them disappear into thick skin
So no one else sees their wounds. You are a warrior
And goddess no one else can ever become. Through
And through you are tough like leather. Like a star
You shine. You are becoming a healer and worrier
Because that is what the generations before you
Carried with them on their backs. You may be far
From the womb where you originally came from
And the shoulders you once were carried upon, but
You are never far from the heart and the feet that
Carried you up the stairs. You are never like a crumb
That people can forget about because you are what
People call strong like the sun. You are never the flat
Corners of the earth because they are non-existent.
You are the gold in the mines. You are the flames of
The fire burning bright and like the beacon of hope
You are what this world needs now, a persistent
Presence that is not going anywhere. You are loved,
Do not forget that. There are days when the ropes
And your eyes are going to become way too heavy.
You are the little girl and the woman who never gave
Up, so keep swinging and keep fighting for what your
Ancestors fought for as they repaired a broken levee
Not for you or anyone to destroy, but for you to pave
The way. My dear, you are opening your own door.