To all the strong women in my life,
There aren't enough words to describe what you all mean to me or explain the impact you've left on my life. From my earliest memories, you all brought me nothing but joy and, more importantly, strength. It is because of you that I know what a real woman looks like; not how she does her hair or applies her makeup, but how she walks into a room and commands attention through her demeanor and intelligence. I've watched your strength take so many different forms, from a subtle and silent strength that needs no roar or commotion to demand attention, to more obvious, louder plays at strength.
This letter is to thank you for everything you didn't know you taught me. While I love and appreciate the things you consciously taught me, like making a ponytail and how to dance salsa with a broomstick, I relish the things that you have no idea you taught me or are still teaching me. You couldn't have seen it while juggling everything you do, but you taught me to answer to no one but myself. While I watch every one of you today I can see nothing but one word in front of me: independence. You taught me that freedom and independence do not have to come at a price because surrounding yourself with the right people will set you free. You taught me that nothing is truly impossible, from fitting 30+ people at our Thanksgiving table to balancing a career, marriage and children with the utmost grace. You taught me how to step back appreciate what I have in front of me, no matter how crazy and hectic my life becomes.
I will be forever thankful that I grew up surrounded by role models who effortlessly taught me what it means to be a woman. For all of the times when I've fallen short and you've pushed me to push myself forward, for all of the nights that you explained that life isn't easy and if it were it wouldn't be worth it, for all of the moments you've watched me achieve my goals and cheered me on from the sidelines, I want to say thank you. I can only hope that one day my daughter and nieces will look up at me the way I look to you all and think "I am so proud to share an ancestry with such powerful women."
Love,
Sama
