A Strong woman

The month of March has been for several years , the month in which women are honored and celebrated around the world. We are reminded through print, television and social media that women make important contributions to our world. We are reminded of the women that came before us and the great achievements that set them apart. I do not have to look very far to see that there are many strong women around me. With all that being said I often reflect back on the women who lived during the early years of our country and the sacrifices that they made.

Women in our American past had tremendous strength and perseverance. They walked side by side with men to forge a new nation. They sacrificed their health, their children and often times their own lives to create a new world that would be better than the one they lived in. In the years that followed, they struggled to be recognized as equals to the men that they supported. They blazed trails that we often take for granted. These strong willed and determined women have made it possible for those that came after them to have opportunities that they only dreamed about.

One of my favorite women to break barriers was Louisa May Alcott. She was a nurse at the age of 18 during the bloodiest days of the American Civil War. She was a devoted daughter who took it as her duty to make sure her parents were well cared for. She was a prolific writer, recognized in her own time for her talent and ability to transport her readers to the worlds she created in her written pages. She continues to influence women more than a hundred years after her death.

During the month of March take the time to reflect on those that came before us and what they have given us as their legacy. Thank the women in your life that have influenced you and made you better. In the words of Louisa May Alcott;

"You have so many extraordinary gifts; How can you expect to lead an ordinary life?"

To all the women out there, continue to be strong, determined, unrelenting, beautiful and fierce, our foremothers are counting on it!

Kay