Women Empowerment

 

 

Today is #nationalwomensday and I have been in a great mood all day!!! Its so wonderful to be recognized throughout our great nation, lifting each other up. As I scrolled through social media today, I was so excited to see all the uplifting posts about strong women. It is my belief that all women are powerful beings. We are amazing creatures. We are the ones who grow life inside of us and bring it into the world. Though a lot of things have improved for women over the years, some things are still the same. We are often overshadowed by men and it can be very frightening to be a woman in a male dominated world. However this year I have seen the most amazing shift with the #timesup movement. No longer are women staying silent and going unseen and unheard. We have risen up in an effort to stop being taken advantage of in numerous ways. This movement is so powerful because it joins women together instead of forcing them apart. Women aren’t always kind to each other and it makes our struggle so much worse. Instead of putting each other down we need to be lifting one another up. We are so much stronger when we are working together. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but we need to be standing with one another for the greater good. That is what I have seen today. Women loving women. It is my hope that we can move forward acting as if everyday is national women’s day.

In honor of this Id like to share some of the empowering women in my life. The first is my 95 year old grandmother, Zetta. My grandmother is a Marine Corp veteran who was part of the first ever women’s marine corp band. During her time in service she performed for two presidents and is now in a war museum in Washington DC. She raised 4 children and lived on an 1800 acre ranch where she volunteered as a cook for firefighters. She lived alone until the age of 94! She can play every instrument I can think of and continues to amaze me on a daily basis. Second is my amazing mother who birthed me at the age of 19 and raised me on that ranch. After divorcing, my mom became a prison guard at a maximum security prison where she eventually retired after 15 plus years. She hustled every day so that I had a good life and could enjoy sports and other activities that are extremely expensive. Lastly my husbands mother and grandmother who came to America as refugees from Cambodia. These extraordinary women faced the ultimate struggle and escaped a war ridden country to come to a place they didn’t know. Not speaking the language, Chamroun (grandmother) took a job as a field worker picking vegetables. For those of you who don’t know, this is literally back breaking work and you are paid by how much you can pick. Sakhon who was still a child herself, birthed twins at the age of 16 and raised them with Chamroun. She know has 5 children and is a single mother doing it on her own.

These women are incredible and I am so very lucky to have them as my ultimate role models! Who are some of your role models?

~ Love Felicia