International Women's Day - Our Inspiration

Today is International Women's Day.  This is a day to honor and to recognize those women who have made a difference to enrich the lives of other women and pave the way for us throughout history.   The theme this year is:  Connecting girls, Inspiring futures.

So many great women have achieved this and we can name quite a few - Joan of Arc, Catherine the Great, Mother Theresa, Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Margaret Thatcher, Oprah Winfrey.  The list of inspiring women is lengthy as it goes through the ages to the present day. 

Every woman has someone who has inspired them, given them strength, helped to shape them into who they are today - someone who has changed their life.  For me that person is my mother.  She was a loving, caring woman who possessed a great deal of strength.  She didn't have a formal education but through her work and life experiences she gathered a wealth of information on how to raise a family and still be a strong woman while doing it.

In our family she was definitely the hands on parent who handled the day to day duties as well as helping my father run our farming operation.  She taught us our manners, she taught us to respect others but most important she tried to teach us to always respect and value ourselves, to work hard for what you want in life and to never quit.  She sacrificed a great deal for her children and was always there to support us in whatever we did.  Whether it was our school and sports, when we started that new job, got married or when we became parents ourselves, she was there as a pillar of strength.   Her memory lives on even though she is no longer here to guide me and I still feel her strength; needless to say she is dearly missed.

Now that I am a mother to three children, two of them girls, I hope that I can emulate her in being a strong female role model to my daughters.  I strive to be the best I can be in achieving my education, taking on a career, and now, being a parent.   I hope if I show my daughters the same love and strength my mother showed me, then I can pass on the legacy she left so that they too can grow to be inspired, confident, strong women.

There are still challenges for women today but there is no doubt those who have come before us have done a remarkable job of breaking down barriers and opening up doors.  I'm thankful for the life lessons and inspiration from my mother.  I hope I can pass on a love of learning, a love of self and a passion for achieving what you want in life to my daughters while instilling the importance of tolerance and compassion.  I see two bright, shining sparks of youth in my girls and I hope to fan the flames so they grow into confident young women in the future.

Thank you Mom - you have done your job of connecting and inspiring me.  I will do my best to follow in your footsteps.