TO OUR TRIBE

Women are phenomenal and when asked who my inspirational woman was I couldn’t decide, because so many that have come and gone in my life have left a mark on my heart. This piece is dedicated to women we don’t hear about in modern day media, the silent warriors that live (and have lived) day in and day out making the most of their lives with the cards they were dealt and, paving the way for our futures. This piece is for you.

To the woman who SACRIFICES

When we talk about sacrifice, much of the time we fail to see the sacrifices women make for the sake of others.

Mothers are most famous for this. From the day of conception a woman will first offer her body to give life and throughout this child’s life, her sacrifices continue to grow. She will offer her time, her sleep, her patience, her sanity, her money, her career, her dream and even her sadness. She will keep smiling in the most dire of times, even when internally all she wants to do is scream, just so her baby continues to see this world through rose tinted glasses. I cannot begin to imagine how much bigger this list is, and I’m only scratching the surface. No matter what religion, what borders, what culture, a mother will sacrifice everything up to their last meal in order to see their child survive.

Sacrifice... what a noble term.

Although sacrifice comes with a negative reputation, I cannot help but find inspiration in all the women who do sacrifice. I hold so much admiration for them because they are my mother, my grandmother, my aunty, my cousin, my sister, my friend, They are love.

I want to say thank you to these women, you are our foundations and whether I know you, or I don’t, please know that you are so important to so many people in this world. When I walk in the streets and see a mother my heart wants to burst out of its chest and give you the biggest hug. The kindness, love and care they project in this universe knows no bounds.

These women are the roots that hold us together.

To the woman who is INQUISITIVE

I want us to go back, way back, throughout our history and pay homage to the women who said why not? These are your activists, your leaders, your heroes. These are the women that paved the way to give us more opportunity to grow today. Below are just a few of many women who changed the course of history for us.

Queen Elizabeth I taught us that you don’t need to be a man to be a strong leader. She chose to marry her country and use her intelligence to silence the naysayers. Rather than succumbing to pressures from above, she gracefully gave them the middle finger and went down in history as one of the greatest leaders in the Western World.

Catherine the Great taught us to question norms. A women of many lovers, and in a loveless marriage, she decided her destiny was to modernise Russia. Catherine established the first state funded school for girls, and encouraged the development of the economy, trade and arts industries.

Sojourner Truth taught me about having a voice, its power and how it can prevail. She was sold into slavery at the age of nine along with a flock of sheep. After 23 years enslaved, she escaped and moved on to be of the greatest advocates for the rights of women and African Americans. Famous for her speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” she paved the way for the Abolition Movement and Women’s Rights.

Rosa Parks taught me the power of the word “No”. She was famous for sparking an entire civil rights movement in America. In December 1955, a bus conductor ordered four black riders to stand on the bus and give a white man the entire front row; three obeyed but Rosa did not. Her arrest sparked a wave of protests, and an entire Civil Rights Movement in America. Rosa wanted to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free, so other people would also be free.

Amelia Earhart taught me to seek adventure. She was the definition of a rule breaker; the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and the first person to ever fly solo from Hawaii to the US. Amelia did not see the impossible, her lion heart showed us anything is possible. She refused to be boxed by her gender and encouraged women to do things as men have tried. And where they failed, she took it on as a challenge.

While these women are all famous for paving the way for us today. I want to take a moment to pay homage to the women of our personal heritages. The women who passed on generations of knowledge all the way down to us.

All these women are the inspirations who have shaped our morals, values, thinking and encourage us to always ALWAYS create change for more opportunity.

These women are our foremothers and pioneers who have left a legacy that we must carry on.

To the woman who FIGHTS

Another place I find inspiration from is women who fight despite the adversity that they face. I have met many women from many aspects of life whose stories have shook me to my core. One issue that kept coming up was those that have been victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Abuse from another can come in many forms whether it’s physical or emotional. For these women every day is a battle, every day is a fight to protect themselves (and in some cases their children). Many of these women are isolated from family and friends by their abusers overtime and are forced into a corner feeling completely helpless at times yet they continue to fight. It might not necessarily be physical defense but a constant mental battle to stay sane. It breaks my heart when I hear women that don’t survive and it burns my soul brightly when I hear about the women escape, and can start again.

I want to take a moment to send a prayer to those that didn’t make it, to applaud and root for those that did but, most importantly, to those that are still trapped… You are not alone. If you can’t fight anymore there are women that will fight for you. Remember, Queen Elizabeth I lead us, Catherine told us to question our norms, Sojourner told us to use our voice, Rosa told us to say “No,” and Amelia told us to break the rules. We all carry that fight, that flame and if you feel alone please reach out to family, friends, and online services. If you have lost the will to fight it’s ok, but for you, we haven’t.

It might be a bizarre place for me to find inspiration in the midst of such hardship, but what I admire from these women is how the smallest tasks that we take for granted, something as simple as getting out of bed to start another day, can take a lot of courage; for that I admire them. That internal struggle from the sunrise to the sunset to keep going, to keep positive amongst a lot of toxicity that burning light to me is an inspiration. Many women who have overcome abuse go on to do spectacular things and their humble and nurturing souls always result in them giving back to the community.

These women are the warriors of today.

To the woman who is ALONE

Before you ask me, “what is she on?!” I want you to take a moment to think about this. The woman who is alone is going down a road that is much less travelled by than many of us. She could be career driven, single or just living her best life without the dependence of others.

These women can face A LOT of criticism from other women because of their lifestyle choices and to me their persistence to go against the grain no matter what people say is nothing short of inspirational.

What resilience…

Many of us were taught from a young age that we NEED a career, a marriage and a family in order to be fulfilled. We are made to feel guilty if we don’t follow this strict path; we are made to feel unfulfilled. The woman who chooses to be alone is the one who chooses PURE independence, she fights for a purpose that is bigger than herself. Rather than cutting these women down I want to place them on a pedestal and give them their moment of glory.

These are the women who could spend their entire lifetime giving back to others, just look at Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to caring for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta. She was labelled a saint yet, today we label these women as selfish.

Being alone doesn’t mean that she is choosing to be lonely. Women who go down this path are the ones that fight for our equal pay, are the ones that will lock horns with the “BIG MAN” and say I can be just as good as you are perceived by society. These women are our rebels who (just like those in the past) will pave the way for our futures where other women cannot.

These are our forward thinkers.

…

When asked who I found inspirational, I realised that there was not one single woman that stood out. It was the traits, the choices, and the spirit these types of women have that give me inspiration every day. As I sit here thinking back on what I’ve written and about all the women past, present and future I can’t help but feel a sense of strength; to be true to my core and know that whatever cards are dealt to me by this world, I need to make the most of it.