Mama Judy, who married my Dad when I was 14 ... my big sister Lindsay, who has four little ones ages 6 and under now ... my sisters in-law who are raising adorable nieces and nephews I love ... my closest friend Lindsay I've known since we were 12, who is the newest 1st-time mom I know ... and all my coupled and single friends, those who hope to have kids of their own someday, as well as those who know they'll never want to raise little ones of their own.
Being a mother doesn't make you a woman, any more than being a woman means you must at some point in your life be a mother. But all the women and all the mothers in my life have something about them I love and admire. It isn't one single thing, either, like ' kindness' or 'compassion,' because all the men and fathers in my life are kind, compassionate people as well. It isn't gender-specific, like all the women are loving or selfless, either. Because all my favorite people know when it's important to sacrifice their wants for the greater good, and when it's important to take care of their own needs so that they can then have more to give to others.
There's something very non-gender-binary and universal that I love about all the women and mothers in my life ... It's something kind, yet fierce ... Compassionate, yet practical ... Its a sense of realness and genuine love they all have in their hearts and minds. You know who you are! You are tough, firm, and gracious. You are strong, flexible, and brave. You tell those you love what you need, want, and expect ... And you understand that while life isn't always fair, you do always have control over your own perspective and attitude.
You are my sheroes, and your herstories will be the ones I tell my own nieces and nephews and sons and daughters. This Day For Moms, I honor and celebrate you all! Thank you for being purely YOU, the exact human I can point to and say, 'See her? You could be like her someday!'
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