In honor of international women’s day, I thought it’d be appropriate to really take time to dedicate an article to those who this day is for: to the women in my life who are strong and who in turn raised me to be stronger.

These are women like my mom. Who raised four kids as a single mother, and who still managed time for each of us individually. Who made it clear how I was meant to hold myself, how to be strong on my own two feet, but also how to care for others and myself when I needed to. She cared for 3 boys who all had their fair share of adolescent teenage angst and later a daughter who was quickly turning into an independent adult. She showed me how to be compassionate and how to love while standing up for myself.

These are women like my sisters-in-law. Who have shown me how to have an equal marriage in love and work. Who have shown me how to care for my nieces and how to stand up for myself. They’ve shown me how a woman can do anything, how she can break into any field of work she wants, and how to excel there.

These are women like my mother-in-law. Who showed me how a mom could raise the man of my dreams and still manage to raise another after her ex-husband was awful. She showed me how to be a leader in a household and how to never let anyone tell her what to do or how to do it (especially when it comes to her house or her dogs).

These are women like my close friends, my twin too. Who have stood by me as I made hard decisions for myself and who kept pushing me forward to what I felt called to. They are the ones who stood behind me and supported me when I needed it most and let me know that no matter what, I was never alone in anything.

These are women like my aunts who are the matriarchs and legends in their houses. These are women like family friends who have been around me my whole life. These are women who are my idols, like Frieda Kahlo and my old AP teacher Ms. Olson who taught me a good work ethic and how to fight for what I know to be right.

This is history. This is strength and courage that I draw from every day. These are women who have done everything they can to show me how not only to be a better woman but a better human. How to fight for what I believe, how to love deeply, how to be moved by injustice and how to have a voice. I hope to be as strong as them, to do them proud and to never stop fighting for what is right and just and compassionate.

So, to all women everywhere: International Women’s Day is for You. Thank you.