Grateful for strong women, always

This blog is dedicated to my brave & beautiful sister Lisa

Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we get to celebrate strong women — those who inspire us, guide us, love us, lead us, and live with us. Those for whom we are grateful because they empower us, grow with us, listen to us, mentor us, “be” with us. Those who are generous with their time.

While International Women’s Day was founded to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women — something I totally celebrate — to me, it’s also about celebrating the women in my life who are strong and brave, those who have helped me find my strong.

Just like this beautiful quote from author Elizabeth Gilbert (a pretty kick-ass woman in her own right), the women I admire most in the world are those that have found their “strong” with grit and grace…because stuff didn’t always work out, yet they handled it. They survived, thrived, found their voice, and in many cases at the same time their calling. They rose again and again when shit didn’t work out. Yep, those are the women I admire and can relate to. And thus, this quote is one of my all-time favs!

Grateful for strong & beautiful women…every day, everywhere

I am grateful to the women who have guided my personal life journey. This includes those in my day-to-day life, like my mom, sisters, my amazing sorority sisters, my female mentors, and of course my girlfriends. It also includes those — like my grandmothers — who are no longer with us.

I am grateful for the incredibly strong and brave trailblazing women whom I’ve never met, but still feel I personally know through their incredible work as it guides me (Brene Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Maya Angelou, Gretchen Rubin, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton…just to name just a few).

I am grateful to those of YOU reading this who have become part of our incredible In-the-Equation community and reached out to me with your stories of struggle, pain, heart ache and triumph.

And, I am grateful for all of the brave, beautiful and strong women in the world who lead and empower us on a daily basis in government, business, nonprofits and organizations — those in the limelight and not. Those who put themselves under the scrutiny of the public eye and risk so much to make a difference. Finally, I am also grateful for the strong men who live with, encourage and empower strong women everywhere!

For my beautiful and brave sister Lisa

But today’s blog is dedicated to my beautiful and brave sister Lisa. Today, I am most grateful for her personal strength and bravery. For her stamina. For her example of how to fall 7, get up 8.

My sister who at 51 (now 52) years old shockingly suffered a massive stroke and who is now in the battle of her life, for her life, demonstrating to me & others every day her personally strength, beauty, courage and faith.

The ultimate gift to me on this Day of International Women is the recognition that some of the very best, most beautiful and strongest women are right beside me in life showing me the way by example. (My sister Kristine, too.) Pulling themselves up by their boot straps and finding their strong.

Lisa, my dear, you will rock this recovery. I love you and celebrate you today…every day. Thank you for reminding me of the power of sister love. May you continue to find your strong and demonstrate for all of us the courage it takes to survive, thrive and arrive. You are my superhero.

XXXOOOO

Lori