I've been struck again and again by the courage of the women who surround me.
We go through our lives like warriors. I was watching a behind the scenes show
about Steve and Terry Irwin, and yes, they are cracked. But it struck me when
Terry said that being a mother made her not only willing to die for her
children, but willing to kill, if necessary. From my littlest women, to the
seasoned professionals, mothers or not, I feel buoyed by support and
understanding. To the woman who is taking control and rebuilding a new
life for herself and her daughters: thank you. To the woman who has been
given an angel and meets each new day with hope and faith: thank you. To the
woman who is struggling to make ends meet and yet enriches her children with
love and laughter: thank you. To the woman who took a leap of faith, traveling
around the world to give love a chance: thank you. To the woman who has
unflagging joy in her husband and children, and never seems to get tired: thank
you. To the woman who charms me with her steady stream of big ideas and
boundless energy: thank you. To the woman who interrupts our phone
conversation to get another sippy cup or listen to the rambling needs of a
little one: thank you. To the woman who dreams bigger, and works harder than
anyone else: thank you. To the woman who brought me into the world, and helped
me form my sense of self: thank you. To the (many) women who listen when I
need to talk, who talk when I need to listen, who give freely of themselves to
me and so many others... You are my heroes! It struck me this morning that I
have never once felt that I am on this road alone. Since the birth of my
oldest, I have rarely faced a challenge that I couldn't put a face on. Sure,
we're still all learning. We make mistakes, and we have wild successes that no
one else could duplicate. The pool of knowledge and the trials-and-errors of
the women in my life have been my not-so-secret strength. I am lucky beyond
belief to have so many women in my life. THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU.