Women contribute to society every day. Women endure great hardship to be a woman in America. Our stories should always be told. Women have given their lives up to do so much for others. Women sacrifice so much for their children and their families. Often the stories of powerful women are hidden and sometimes only told after we are gone. It is important to hear the great contributions and love shown by the people who knew the women closely. I have been fortunate to be inspired by many women throughout my life. I had a praying mother who faced many challenges in her life, but she kept giving it all she had.
I have a grandmother who faced unfortunate circumstances at an early age, but she kept on doing the best she could with lack of support many times in her life. My mother and grandmother faced trials and tribulations that were hidden behind their strength and power to overcome all the struggles and keep on living. I asked my grandmother a few times how she kept on living. She would always say “what am I supposed to do? I just can’t give up like that, so I just keep on going”. I marveled at her resilience to keep on pressing through the struggles. They both faced poverty, abuse, adversity, discrimination, hardship, loss, and trials, but they kept giving it their all.
This is the hardship of many women. It is often a common story for black women in so many different ways. America keeps letting women down with every turn. I’m not the biggest political person, but it is a sad state of affairs when we tell women how to bear children. It is a sad state of affairs when men decide what a women can and cannot do with their bodies. It a tragic state of affairs when we start going backwards after so many generations of women fought to free women from the chains of men in society.
I have always had women in my life to guide me, unlike my grandmother and mother. I thank God for that. I give thanks for the sacrifices women made in my family. They had to try and make it through life working dead-end jobs. There were times when they felt frustrated and marginalized by a broken system.
I had never thought about the sacrifices until I lived independently, and I begin to understand why they were sometimes angry, tired, saddened and broken. Though this was true they were the strongest women I ever seen. When they should have given up, they kept putting one foot in front of the other no matter how difficult it became. They often smiled when they would have rather shed tears.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month do not forget about the women in your life that paved the way for you. They may not have done everything right but understand that they did the best they could with the cards they were dealt. As a black woman, I am saddened by the struggles of all women. I find strength knowing that if my grandmother and mother could keep pressing through the struggles of a broken system I can overcome too.
The power of women is found in the sacrifices we make and the legacy we leave behind.
Resilient Inspired Spiritual Excellence R.I.S.E. 