To All The Women

To all the women that I have met in my life. I thank you. I thank you for being there and standing together, by my side and each others. I thank my mother who despite struggles and obstacles raised me to be kind, caring and independent. She taught me that no good can come from anger or violence. She taught me the value of the Earth and the people around me. Despite the struggles and hardship that is happening over the world and to it, I can still see the beauty and have faith it can outgrow the bad. I thank my Grandmother who showed me that perseverance will get your through and I thank her for the wisdom she has shared.

I thank the women, my friends who turned into family, who stood by my side and help me up in my darkest time. I thank you for rooting for me and pushing me forward.  You made me find my own strength when I was ready to give up without a fight. Those are the women who saved my life and everything I have done, and continue to do proving there was no energy wasted.

To all the women who I admire with all of my heart, I stand by you and give back what was given to me. The encouragement, the drive and the fight. We fight together to be something more than people thought.  I may have met you once, twice or known you my whole life. I may have only seen what you have written your recorded. Yet, I will never forget. We go beyond expectations and continue to shine. We hold our own lives in our hands and we care for it and so many others. We care for our family, friends, partners and children. We fight for them.

I stand in a world where there is too much violence, stigmas and where the word 'feminist' is sneered at. Together we stand in a world which we can change. Together our compassion, strength and fight can overpower and heal the wounds that have been made as we watched from below the ceiling made of glass. May every crack and smash make us one step closer. May we never be silenced.

To all the women, I stand with you.