International Women's Day
So, rthstewart post got me thinking about how awesome-tastic-mazingful women, both fictional and real, are, and how badass we can be. It's not a topic that's ever far from my mind, but recently it's become more and more pressing with the political atmosphere in the US. I want to honor the women who came before me, who are here now, and those who haven't been born yet.
To that end, I want to share how being around strong women all my life has shaped me. My mother is a force of nature. She has always been there for me when I needed someone to fight for me, but she also let me stand up for myself. She taught me that it's ok to question, to be curious and to want to learn. She taught me to take care of those who can't take care of themselves. To love and be loved. To laugh, and to cry. I cannot imagine my life without my mom in it in some way.
My grandma has always been strong, but in a different way. One could even say she's Gentle. She's had it hard, but she always has a smile and a hug for me.
My mentor has been an inspiration to me, in a field that's not typically women-folk friendly. It's shifting, more women are in training than men, but that's a recent thing, so having a woman who is successful and respected as a mentor, especially one so kind, has been a boon.
And the thing is? Those are only the real people. The living, flesh-and-blood people. The paper-and-ink women, the sci-fi-special-effects women? They're pretty awesome too. Eowyn taught me to be strong. Galadriel taught me that not all power is physical. Hermione taught me to have a passion for learning. Oracle taught me that limitations don't have to be. Teyla taught me that badassery can me quiet and unassuming, but not less fierce for that. (Narnia folks who know Stargate Atlantis: the meeting of the minds of Teyla and Susan. Oh man. How wonderful and scary.) The women of Doctor Who? Their lesson was loyalty. The ladies of Young Wizards? What it means to stand for those who cannot.
Who are the women who made you who you are? Who will make you into what you will be?
To that end, I want to share how being around strong women all my life has shaped me. My mother is a force of nature. She has always been there for me when I needed someone to fight for me, but she also let me stand up for myself. She taught me that it's ok to question, to be curious and to want to learn. She taught me to take care of those who can't take care of themselves. To love and be loved. To laugh, and to cry. I cannot imagine my life without my mom in it in some way.
My grandma has always been strong, but in a different way. One could even say she's Gentle. She's had it hard, but she always has a smile and a hug for me.
My mentor has been an inspiration to me, in a field that's not typically women-folk friendly. It's shifting, more women are in training than men, but that's a recent thing, so having a woman who is successful and respected as a mentor, especially one so kind, has been a boon.
And the thing is? Those are only the real people. The living, flesh-and-blood people. The paper-and-ink women, the sci-fi-special-effects women? They're pretty awesome too. Eowyn taught me to be strong. Galadriel taught me that not all power is physical. Hermione taught me to have a passion for learning. Oracle taught me that limitations don't have to be. Teyla taught me that badassery can me quiet and unassuming, but not less fierce for that. (Narnia folks who know Stargate Atlantis: the meeting of the minds of Teyla and Susan. Oh man. How wonderful and scary.) The women of Doctor Who? Their lesson was loyalty. The ladies of Young Wizards? What it means to stand for those who cannot.
Who are the women who made you who you are? Who will make you into what you will be?