Today is National Women’s Day and each and every one of us chose to celebrate/commemorate the way which suited us individually. There were scores of women teachers who took the day off to show the impact their absence would have on the school system. This action caused multiple school districts to close to avoid mass confusion.
This action also got a rise out of a lot of people who didn’t support them and their actions. The purpose of this day has been lost somewhere along the way and this year it seems to be blamed on the new administration. Don’t worry, this post is not going to be political, I don’t write about nor do I discuss politics, not my thing. This is all about glorifying all that a woman is, embodies and has to offer the world and those around her.
I am a strong, proud Black woman but my strength doesn’t come only from my ethnicity, yes, it is a big part of it but not all of it. I come from a long line of strong women and it wasn’t until I got older did I know, understand and appreciate their strengths. If you’ve never had the pleasure of sitting down and talking and listening to the older generation of women in your family, I highly suggest taking time out of your busy schedule to do so while you still have the opportunity. 
They are a wealth of knowledge and stories which would have you sitting in silence and awe at the life they’ve lived. Some of their stories are filled with wisdom and others are filled with humor. We’ve lost focus of the struggles older generations have had to endure so we are able to live the lives we do in this era. Unfortunately, I don’t have many with whom I can do this with anymore but I took the time when they were here to ask questions and listen. My Grannie was a single mother who worked multiple jobs to ensure her family had a roof over their heads and food on the table. It wasn’t until she was gone did I learn of her true strength and character. My Nana was a homemaker who raised her 4 children while her husband worked in the school system as a career. They were 2 totally different women but had strengths which were immeasurable and did it all without complaint.
When I was growing up, I admired my mother so much because she represented the epitome of what a classy lady should be at all times. She always looked put together perfectly, no matter if she was going to work or the grocery store. She never had a hair out of place, crust in her eyes or raggedy clothes on, she represented herself well with her speech and manners and I strived to be just like her. 
My mother has been thru so very much in her life and she did it all without complaint at any point. I rarely have ever seen my mother cry, even in the hardest moments and situations, she kept her head held high and handled it with more dignity and grace than I could fathom. She made sacrifices for me and my sister as a single mom without blinking an eye, it was just something she was determined to do, no matter the situation.
I may be a single mother now but I haven’t always been but my sister has been one from the moment my nephew was born. Even though her son’s father is very active in his life, she was the primary care for him on a regular basis. 
Next to my mother, my sister is the strongest woman I know and I wouldn’t be who or how I am had it not been for her. I have watched my sister struggle with everything life could throw at her but she forged thru it with determination to win at all costs. I always felt inferior to her and her strength, never believing I could ever be half the woman she was. I am so truly blessed she is my sister, friend, hero and biggest fan ~ Love you Sisser!
It’s true that it’s not always easy being a woman, sometimes it absolutely seems to suck but I’d never want to be a man. As a woman, I am able to cry when I am hurting or scared and not thought less of or weak for doing so, being able to show emotions when they arise is invaluable. There are females who desire to be equal to men in every facet of their daily lives, not me! Although I am fully capable, I have no desire to cut the grass or change the oil in a vehicle. 
There are those who would never believe I actually do know how to do those things but my daddy made absolutely sure I had this knowledge even though he knew I’d probably never use it. You can’t tell by looking at my vehicle right now but I know how to wash and wax a car better than most men, again, thanks to my daddy.
Take a moment and think about the wonderfulness which is WOMAN: she grows life within her body, endures the swollen body parts, an ever growing belly, heartburn, blood pressure concerns, hours of pain and sometimes being cut to bring forth a human being and she does it willingly.
Your co-worker may not be able to have children but dedicates her time to foster children as a way to give that motherly love to those who aren’t fortunate to have their own mothers.
The strength of a woman is something you could never measure because you don’t know all she endures on a regular basis. The woman you sit next to on the bus could be a victim of rape and abuse but she doesn’t broadcast it because it doesn’t define who she is as person. Your co-worker may not have eaten dinner last night because there just wasn’t enough food to feed her children and herself but she’d never mention it because that’s just what a woman does, she provides and ensures those around her are taken care of first. As a woman, we will put our own troubles aside to be there for a loved one in their time of need. 
There is nothing you can compare the true genuineness and strength of a woman’s heart, it gets broken beyond recognition but she still loves as though it’s never been damaged. When we are hurting, sad, or scared, nothing feels better than a loving embrace from a woman in our lives, it magically takes the pain and fear away.
No woman is perfect, we all have flaws of some sort but that’s what makes us fabulously unique in every form and fashion. We come in all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities but we all share a common bond of womanhood. I believe once we embrace the differences within each other instead of criticizing them, we will all come together as one. No woman is another woman’s competition, she is her sister and friend. We are not bitches and hoes, we are queens and divas. Let’s raise our glasses and toast to all of our fandamntasticness 
and continue to support and encourage one another in every area of our lives while raising our daughters with our values. Love you, Ladies!