Dear you,

Dear daughter, dear mother, dear friend, dear sister, dear woman, dear you.

How are you? How's life? Are you doing what you love? Are you taking care of yourself? Of your body, of your mind? Are you happy? Are you proud? Are you loved?

I am writing this letter to tell you that you inspire me. Yes, each and every single one of the women on this planet. No matter who you are, where you are, or who you want to be.

You encourage me to keep going, to fight for the things I want, to face adversity, to get up after I have been down. You inspire me to keep trying and be better every day. To strive for perfection but to allow myself to fail. Because failing is human and because failing is learning. And without learning, we wouldn't be here. You encourage me to dream and have goals. To always have an aim, because we can accomplish everything we set our minds to. Because we are women. Because we are powerful. Because we are warriors.

Dear women,

You allow me to dream. Dream that one day all of this will be over. That we won't have to fight to be seen or to be heard. That we will be happy, at peace, tougher than ever. You allow me to believe that one day I will be able to look in the mirror and say that we made it. I will be able to look at you and smile because we are fulfilled; because we did it.

Because we embraced each and every single one of the women on Earth and made it a better place. A community where we don't have to think twice about what we wear, about what we say, about what we want, about who we are. A place that is filled with love and sisterhood, where women build themselves up, not bring each other apart. A place where we don't have to explain ourselves, doubt our skills or inhibit our true self. A place where we are free. A place we call home.

I know that one day little girls won't have to play with princesses and wear pink in order to be a woman. Because being a woman isn't a color, or a body, or even a sex. Being a woman is an attitude. It's a mindset. Being a woman is being strong, determined and daring. Being a woman means being human, being kind and caring. But it also means being you. Fully and unapologetically you. To dance to that song you love, to run and leave everything behind, to wear that dress that makes you feel sexy. Because you are. Because you can.

Dear women,

You allow me to be vulnerable but not weak. Because being vulnerable is being powerful and courageous. Being vulnerable is one of the most wonderful things that we can do. To open ourselves up and to trust each other. To be heard among us and to be trusted. You allow me to learn from my mistakes and to keep trying.

You inspire me to tell my story and not be afraid. You inspire me to let my guard down and scream 'This is me'. To be self-sufficient and fully myself. To be me and nobody else. You encourage me to stand up for myself. For us. For others. Because there is no me without you, and there is no you without me. Because we are all in this together. And we will win together.

Dear women,

Thank you for allowing me to vote, for enabling me to study, for allowing me to drive, for empowering me to be independent. Thank you for allowing me to have goals and dreams, and for letting me choose my own path. For letting me be my own person.

And to the women who still can't say that, just wait. Keep being strong. Keep fighting. Keep your head high and never, even for a second, think that you are alone.

Thank you for teaching me that I shouldn't be scared. Thank you for showing me that it's okay not to be okay. That this all shall pass and that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It makes us stronger. More united. More determined. More us.

Thank you for allowing me to always count on you. No matter when or where we are. Thank you for not just listening to me but for hearing me. For understanding my pain and my faults. For not judging me or my story.

Dear women,

Just a reminder.

You are beautiful, no matter your size, your skin color, your hair type, your scars. No matter what others say, know that you are gorgeous inside and out. That you are valued. That you matter. Because you are loved.

I hope you know that you can be everything you want to be. Because you are tough and capable. Capable of receiving that promotion, of getting that job, of going up that mountain, of achieving that goal, of being happy. I hope you know that you can accomplish everything you set your mind to, because we are women, and women never give up. We never quit.

I want you to know that you are not alone. That you can count on me, count on us. I need you to know that you are brave and that I'm proud of you. We are proud of you.

Never forget that you deserve to be happy. And you will be.

Sincerely,

a strong woman.