Friday 8th of March was International Women’s Day (IWD) 2019. If you were on any sort of social media you would have seen the overwhelming outpouring of love, support and encouragement for women.
What a beautiful sight it was.
I want to be honest and say that this was probably the first year, in my 25 years, that I have truly understood the importance of IWD. It was the first time that I’ve embraced it with open arms, clear eyes and a heart ready to be filled. It was the first time that I truly understood that to celebrate women and all that we are, all that we are becoming and all that we will be is not a slight on men. It’s not an exclamation of superiority or an acknowledgement of inferiority. It was a day to reflect on the progress made, to fight for the issues that still confront us and to hope for a more equal future.
For me, the most overwhelming feeling I’ve had over the last few days since IWD is one of gratitude to women. A desire to hold the women I cherish in my life, those who are family, friends or inspiring figures, and thank them for making me who I am.
So here goes, my thank you note to women;
To the women who bore us, who carried us for months inside of them, allowing us to tear them apart physically and emotionally in order to enter this world – THANK YOU. Woman, stand up! Take your bow.
To the women who support us, who hold it together so we can fall apart, who are strength and vulnerability all wrapped in one – THANK YOU. Woman, stand up! Take your bow.
To the women who fight for us, who have gone before and carved spaces for us to exist, who open the door and invite us to follow their lead – THANK YOU. Woman, stand up! Take your bow.
To the women who have known pain, who have survived and endured despite the hurt, who have not allowed themselves to be wholly defined by their experiences – THANK YOU. Woman, stand up! Take your bow.
To the women who love themselves, who are flawed, broken and altogether imperfect, who walk with the confidence and assurance of self-love and show us we can too – THANK YOU. Woman, stand up! Take your bow.
S.
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