Mother of five. Seeker of justice. Believer in good.
It’s Women’s History Month. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Women hold up half the sky.”
When thinking about this article, it was hard to choose who to highlight from such a rich history. I could write about the impact female scientists like Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace or Katherine Johnson have had on our world. I could seek to educate you on social justice warriors like Fannie Lou Hammer, Ida B. Wells, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston or Malala Yousafzai. Maybe I should inform you about pioneers in business and economy like Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, or Catherine Gleason; or how about poets and Nobel Prize winners such as Toni Morrison and Nadine Gordimer.
I could fill this page with women deserving recognition, whose stories deserve to be told. But I am surrounded daily by phenomenal women shaping the world with little to no fanfare and today I want to share about them. History makers in their own right.
My momma has raised six independent, free-spirited children to successful adulthood. That “six and independent” thing deserves to be reiterated. I watched through my childhood as my friends were drawn to her love and encouragement. I have spent a lifetime as a witness to her service to others. I cannot count how many lives she has touched.
My sisters and friends, some single moms, Emmy-award winning producers, yoga instructors, entrepreneurs, business owners. Some are educators and scientists, non-profit founders and outreach workers. Women at the top of their career and those putting their own dreams on hold to raise a family that can pursue theirs. I know women from past abuses or addiction entrusting other women with their children. I know women loving those babies as their own. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, professors and construction workers. My girlfriends and I have stood at each other’s weddings. More importantly we’ve stood in support of one another’s marriages. We have watched as children came and changed everything. We have grieved together through the loss of one of those precious babies. We have prayed together for solutions and peace as we watched our parents age. We have shared the loss of some.
My co-workers. I watch daily as they invest in the lives of children at our school. They teach, guide, nurture and transform. I sit on the council for the Noblesville Diversity Coalition and I observe women in our neighborhoods having brave conversations with one another, seeking to understand and striving for unity. Difficult work that will alter the culture of our community.
I served alongside women advocating for families facing homelessness, food insecurities and domestic violence issues. These women in my life, sisters and friends, we have withstood tantrum-throwing toddlers and hormone-laced teenagers together. We have encouraged and supported and nudged and celebrated. Many of these women are raising young women – bold, creative, young ladies like the three in my own home and the strong friends they bring around.
The female entourage in my life is quite simply a force. On days when life feels heavy they bring laughter and lessen the load. They come alongside one another. They step in to the pain and cry together. They celebrate each other’s victories. When overwhelmed they borrow on the strength of those before us and find themselves pushing through. They are encouragers when confidence lacks. They are peacekeepers. Butt kickers. They are activists. Advocates and allies. They are survivors. Champions. Fighters. They are warriors and healers.
What a privilege to be a part of this tribe called women.
We have and continue to contribute greatly to this world. While I stand and honor the Susan B. Anthonys, the Amelia Earharts, the Mother Teresas and the Eleanor Roosevelts of our history, I stand in awe of the amazing women around me daily working diligently to make this world better. I stand in the shadows of their glorious impact clapping and cheering them on.