Hear me Roar

There's a song by some woman who at some time sang "I am woman  hear me roar in numbers to big to ignore..."  It goes on and it's not really my style.  My mom used it for a Ladies Night Out fun event--something for women to be together, learn, and have fun.  The song, truly, is obnoxious and I don't love it--but I always remember the first line.

Women are strong--stronger than men in many ways.  Men are strong too, but since I'm a woman, I'm going to tout on the strong women in my life--the women that make me want to be better.  The women who make me proud.  I'm going to tribute them here, and hope that they know they are loved.

The first, and easiest to group up, are the women that I graduated college with.  The UofM COT class of Surgical Technology Graduates (We all have CST after our names now)--these women endured trying and difficult times, and each of them graduated (two of them with honors).  They are strong and faced adversity--some were raising families, others nurturing relationships, and still others were forging ahead into a world they didn't know--into something new.  And so I first give a nod to these women (there was one gentleman who was also very strong to survive)  who are strong and courageous and who got what they knew they could work hard for.  I hope they all find jobs in their field.

Second I praise the mothers I know.  My sister is very different from myself in many ways, and we've always been that way.  She and I may not have gotten along all that much growing up, but she is now one of my closest friends.  One thing I know about my sister is that she is a wonderful mother.  She loves her daughter Shelby and she was born to be a good mom.  I intend to repeat this over and over to Shelby when she gets older--making sure she never forgets it.

My sister learned from my mother.  My mom is the best.  Blah blah blah you can say "no my mom is better", but that's the joy of differing opinions.  I won't believe you.  My mom is another one of my closest friends.  She's always been there for me, correcting me when necessary and praising me when I deserved it.  She's gone through her share of hell, and she's come out strong.  My mom is one of the most loyal people I know.  She'd give you our house if she thought you needed it more than we do (is that an exaggeration?  I don't know...).  My grandpa describes her as giving, and she is--he says she would get a bag of candy and rush out to share it with everyone else.  I, on the other hand, will horde and hide mine away, saving it for only me.  I love my mom--I couldn't imagine my life without her.

My mom learned from my Grandma.  Both my dad's mom and my mom's mom are amazing.  They have dealt with their own share of troubles and strife, each rising to the occasion and becoming amazing women of God.  Gigi and my Grandma Wendy are some of the sweetest (and sometimes feistiest) women I know.  My grandma Wendy recently had surgery and while most people I know would be laying around in pain, whining about their troubles, she's not complaining and she's doing all she can do without causing further problems.  She's cheery and positive in a time where most would be woebegone.  Gigi deals with people who are...well...I wouldn't want to deal with them.  People say thing about my grandparents and about our church, but my Gigi doesn't allow them to stop her from doing God's work.

It's easy to praise my family.  But one of the strongest women I know has only recently shown me how deep her strength truly runs.  One of my dearest friends has just recently had her heart handed to her in a blender by a man she had trusted it to whole heartedly.  Now, when a relationship that has lasted quite some time ends, and it was a relationship a woman had poured her entire self into, it would only be assumed that said woman would fall apart, perhaps never to repair.

But...you haven't met my friend.  This girl is hurting, and she wouldn't deny it.  This is not some high school relationship, that after five months it's over and she'll be fine in a couple weeks.  This was a place she'd thought was safe--she'd found her prince, but alas, he was only a frog.  But I've seen her strength.  She knows that even though she is hurting she will make it through this.  She knows she is strong enough to deal with the pain and survive.  I don't think I'd be as strong as she has been.  I think I'd give up. 
I don't think I can come up with enough words to describe her strength or how much I love her.  I can't make you understand why she is one of the strongest women I have ever met...but if you know her, I know you probably agree.

What does it take to be a strong woman?  What can I learn from these ladies whom I love so much?  The answer is...so...many...things.  I observe these women and I hope to someday be one of them.  I trust them. I love them.  I cry their wonderful abilities from the rooftops.  I hope you know they deserve it.  If you are a woman--whether a mother, a lover, broken, built, skinny, fat, short, or tall--I believe we all have strength.  If you don't believe me, maybe you'll just have to find out for yourself.