For the Ladies....Happy Women's Day

It’s International Women’s Day, and I don’t want to let it go by without honouring all of the women that make my world go round. Men are great, of course, but women! It has been my incredibly good fortune to be surrounded by amazing women my whole life, and they have given me so much strength, inspiration, and laughter. When I think to list all the things these women have brought to my life, I am overwhelmed.

My maternal grandmother brought my extended family together in feasts of wine and good food, allowed me to curl my little girl body into her soft folds, and showed me that joy can survive even unthinkable losses. My paternal grandmother inspires me to speak my mind frankly and be grateful for by blessings rather than complaining about my misfortunes (though she’s better at both than I am). Both have taught me to love literature and language and care about what’s going on in the world, and have shown me that growth is lifelong.

My mother taught me compassion for others, and to keep an open-heart to everyone as much as possible. She showed me that we can go deep into our darkness and come out stronger, humbler, wiser, and steadier. I am thankful every day for her friendship and support, the unwavering, unequalled love that a mother gives, that I understand now from experiencing it myself, and am in awe of. That love I often took for granted, but which literally gave me my life, nurtured me steadily and unwaveringly, taught me everything, from language to cooking to how to play nice, only to release me, gradually and unselfishly, into the world on my fledgling legs with tears and pride in her eyes.

And then there are my woman peers—my sisters-in-law, my cousins, my dear friends—collectively, I think of them as my “sister-women”, and I am blessed with so many. These are the women who can split a side with me in laughter, and who can witness my tears with a gentle smile of understanding and offer words of comfort, or tears of their own so I don’t cry alone. They went out with me and shook booty on the dance floor when we were single, and now they sit on the floor and admire my baby’s naked booty wiggling across the living room.

These are women of courage, not afraid to live honestly and outside the mold, women of love and passion, loyal, fierce women, who move through change and loss with grace, bringing back new wisdom to share with me. With a single glance, they can assess the emotional nuance of a situation and offer help, rocking a restless baby or showing up ready to pack up an apartment or sending a song that will comfort my soul. We have grown together in friendship, and together ridden the waves of this ever-changing ocean of life. For each and every one of them, I am so grateful, and I to each one I wish the most blessed of lives.

Thank you, thank you, thank you—my heart is full with all of you women.
Here is a song for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSwMWv0pbpk