{Photo Credit: Anna Ligocki Photography}
“I do.” My baby sister got married last weekend.
My new brother in-law works hard and loves big. He’s adventurous and determined. Growing up, he had strong role models in his mom, aunt, and grandmother. My sister, petite as she is, is a strong-willed, stubborn woman with grit to spare. Though, she doesn’t scare my brother in-law (and why should she). He embraces her and loves her strength, as well as her weaknesses.
Strong women raised my brother in-law, and he loves my strong sister.
I look at my other sister and her husband. He’s more of a John Wayne type, but with a Burt Reynolds mustache.
He’s hard-working and takes pride in his work. He doesn’t say much, but it takes a lot to rattle him. And rattle him my sister does. She’s a lot: well-read, resolute, nurturing, outspoken. But she is not too much for my brother in-law (and why should she be). Why some wouldn’t embrace her strength is beyond me; but it seems to require something more.
Incidentally, or likely, coincidentally, strong women also raised my other brother in-law. He loves my strong sister.
The fact that my husband was raised by strong women was one of the things that attracted me to him on our very first date. His mom invented passion and perseverance. His older sister has a laser focus for her goals. Both are unyielding and get. things. done.
They raised a strong man who loves and listens. He loves me and encourages me to be a stronger, better version of myself each day.
Myself, I was raised by strong women. All of my moms and my best girlfriends bleed resilience, each in her own way. Because of them, I know that strength can be a simple act of kindness or unconditional love.
Strong women raised my husband, and strong women raised me. Together, we raise our daughters to be strong women.
And if my husband and I had a son, we would raise him to be a strong man; a lover of women, of men, and of animals.
We do this by molding our daughters’ inner voices. I talk to our daughters in a tone and using words I hope they continue to reassure themselves with throughout their lifetime. My husband and I speak to each other the way we hope they copy in their dealings with each other; with their friends; with their future partners.
We do this by modeling love, kindness, and compassion that we hope they adopt. It’s as basic as the way we address the waiter or making the effort to hold hands. Additionally, we have chosen to give them a religious education to reinforce values like kindness and compassion.
We do this by listening. We encourage them to explore their own thoughts and emotions. We talk about the feelings that characters have in books and movies, and listen to their points of view. We validate their independence and imagination by slowing down and listening to them talk.
{Photo Credit: Anna Ligocki Photography}
All babies raise strong women. Biologically, pregnancy enables strength in each and every expecting mom. Expectant moms learn endurance and patience. We learn about our own bodies. We learn to nurture. Take childbirth as an example. It is painful and can last many hours, if not days. For many women, unfortunately, a pregnancy may represent another adversity for which they need strength (e.g., maybe she was going back to school, leaving a partner, fighting with a parent, lost a job, etc.). And for many other women, a lack of pregnancy or a pregnancy loss requires strength to continue through sheer heartbreak. My point is that all moms are strong women and pregnancy biologically breeds strength.
Strong women continue to raise me. In my life now, I continue to seek out strong women. I am fortunate to work in a professional environment filled with strong women, lead by strong women, and I get to work side-by-side with them every single day. In my personal life, I get to work with the strong women at Twin Cities Moms Blog; my moms continue to show me true mothering; and I still depend on the steadfast advice of my best girlfriends.
For each lesson I continue to learn in my life, and for each day I’m lucky to experience, strong women continue to actively mold my life.
Strong women raise strong babies, and likewise.
