7/3/2015
July 4th represents independence and freedom. There have been many battles for freedom throughout our history – the most recent Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage in the United States was a huge victory representing freedom of choice and equality for gay Americans. The ruling came on my daughter’s 14th birthday, June 26th and it seemed synchronistic considering she took a firm and outspoken stance in her Bat Mitzvah speech 10 months ago about gay rights,
Even though most Americans living today can’t imagine a time when women did not have the right to vote, most of us do recognize that by and large it is still a man’s world in many ways.
In every community in America in large ways and small, many women work to level the playing field between men and women. These women model positive female leadership and confidence in everything they do. Sometimes, they make a public stand but quite often they work behind the scenes and build reputations for themselves as strong, intelligent, confident women. These are the women you want on the board for your organization or the one you feel comfortable sending your child on a playdate to their home. These women exude wisdom and grace all at once. These are the women modeling for our daughters how to be feminine and confident and BAD ASS.
It is the mothers in our communities that mold and shape the next generation – let the feminist brainwashing begin! In a good way of course. It is so important for our daughters and sons to grow up having lots of examples of strong female leadership so it can become the absolute norm and we can continue to close the gap.
I would like to recognize on this 4th of July, 2015 two such women…Robin Berry and Kim Glover.
Robin passed away July 2, 2011 and Kim’s funeral was July 2, 2015. It seems synchronistic again, that 2 incredible female leaders in the same community were taken from us just 4 years apart. They both were examples of Mama Warriors; loved their children fiercely; spoke out about things they believed in; stepped up to the plate to take action whether it was planning a class party or taking on a more traditional leadership role in their children’s schools. They were “those” moms that get sh!t done. They were both fun and likable and charismatic and BAD ASS female role models.
Please take time this 4th of July to honor the memories of Robin Berry and Kim Glover and reflect on how their lives impacted yours in some way. Even if you didn’t know them, think of the Mama Warrior you can show up to be for your kids, your extended family/friends and your community at large. We all have the capacity to be strong feminine leaders like Robin and Kim – they have handed off the torch to each of us to continue serving as role models in the way each of them lived their tragically shortened lives. Let’s make them proud.
