When my insanely talented, awesome, wonderful woman editor gave me the opportunity to write this piece I have never felt so honored to honor the women in my life. Women are a staple to a working society, and we totally deserve more credit than it is given. Women can be and do anything and that is what every woman I’ve ever met has showed me.
I have been empowered by so many women throughout my life as I’m sure all women have. I’ve been empowered by women who raised me, women who left me, and women who I’ve never even met but have touched me with their art. I’ve been bestowed the greatest honor which is being a woman. We have our challenges, but we always come out stronger. Women run the world, and I have never been so grateful than right now to be a woman. To all the women who have empowered me, given me strength, given me, life, love, happiness, and most importantly have taught me lessons. This is for you.
My Mother
Momma
Mommy
The woman who has given me life
You are the strongest woman I have EVER encountered
The most beautiful person
My genetic make up might be 50% of you
But my whole personality is because of you
You taught me not to give up on love
Fight for what I believe in
You made me into a big sister and that is the greatest part of my life
And I have you to thank for it
I never would’ve made it to where I am today without you standing by me
I am endlessly thankful that the universe gave me you as my mother
But also my best friend
I hope I’ve grown into a woman that you are proud of
As much as I am proud to be your daughter
My Aunt
Titi
I don’t think of you as my aunt most of the time
I see you as my friend, as someone I get to look up to everyday
When I grow up I want to be you
I want to be as brave and as amazing as you are
When you had Maes, my cousin, I wanted to be for him what you are for me
I wanted to be his confidant, his person to talk to when shit hits the fan
I want to be there for him always, the way you’ve been here for me always
You’ve taught me that I should be in no rush to grow up
I have forever to have children and get married if I would like to (because of you I don’t feel that I HAVE to anymore)
I am forever grateful to you for showing me how fucking cool being young and living life can actually be
You are the best mother, aunt, sister, friend anyone could ever have and I am insanely lucky to have you
My Grandmothers
I am extremely fortunate that I got to grow up knowing my grandmothers
I am twenty-two years old and both of my grandmothers are still here with me
Both of my grandmothers were left by men who were unworthy of their love and affection
But they overcame
They raised two children on their own
Until they met the men who were worthy of all they had to offer
Those are the men that I call my grandfathers
They continued to have more children after that and raise them just as amazingly
These women helped raise me, these women are my past, present, and future
I get to look back at them and look forward to them for I hope many many more years to come
I would not be who I am if I didn’t have these women bringing me up, teaching me my family history, and where I come from
They are the foundation for both sides of my family
No man could EVER take credit for that
My Cousins
I did not only have my aunt as a role model growing up but I also had two older cousins
They did not live close but when I was a little girl they would come and visit me every summer and fight about who I loved most
We would fight more like sisters than cousins
I was able to have a relationship where I was young and seeing what it was like to be a pre-teen to teenage girl from my cousins
The things I experienced in my teenage life I never would’ve known
how to handle if it weren’t for them and what I was able to observe in their life
Now one of my cousins is married with a family or her own and the other is getting married in September
I am so proud of all the things my cousins have overcome and of where they are now
We watched each other grow up and become the women we are today and I am so grateful that I get to have a relationship like this for the rest of my life
My Girls
I could not only choose one
There are multiple women who have chosen to be a part of my life
The same way I have chosen them
These women are no longer friends, they are my family
They are the loves of my life
They are the reason I am still standing
I’ve wanted to give up millions of times
And They have ALWAYS been there to keep me afloat
If there is one thing I want to come out of this
It is for them to know how thankful I am for everything they have done for me
When the world seemed darkest
And when I thought I’d hit rock bottom
They’d be right there to hand me a shot of Tito’s and lead me back to my path
These women are exceptional and they not only watched me grow as a person
But I have watched them and I am endlessly happy knowing that I will be stuck with them for the rest of my life
The Women Who Have Left My Life
When I say this I don’t mean women who have passed on
I mean women who were huge parts of my life and are no longer a part of it
They deserve just as much recognition as the women above
These women once meant the world to me
And although they broke me
They also molded me into the strong woman I am today
I am stronger and stronger bc of the heartache I endured because they left my life
But I know we are all much better off
I loved them all, I respect them still
We are all allies at the end of the day and I hope I have given them the same strength they all have given to me
Halsey
An angelic human being
I only discovered her a few years ago and she changed my life forever
Her songs, her art
Has shaped me into being so much more badass than I already was
I never would be where I am if her songs didn’t touch me the way they have
She is an absolute hero to me
And has empowered me to be who I am
To be as vulnerable as I am
Beyoncé
During a hard time in my life
She was there for me
Her album Lemonade got me through it
It’s a beautiful, powerful, and insanely talented piece of art
If you haven’t listened, even if she is not your vibe, I really recommend it
Her craft, and how she approached this was impeccable
and if it weren’t for her I’m not sure I would feel as powerful as I feel today
I am told that I am crazy all the time, but damn this made me feel just plain old powerful and in control
She is a role model for many and especially to me and my mother
Beyoncé, thank you for being the epitome of a boss ass bitch
I could go on and on about so many more incredible women who have empowered, inspired, and molded me. But these women are the most important to credit for the powerful, strong, exquisite woman that I am now. Women are wonderful, and should be recognized as that always. To conclude, I just have to say, I am woman. Hear me roar.