The Women Who Raised Me

#InternationalWomensDay

Here's to the women,
who came before me,
who carried me,
who raised me,
who held me,
who healed me,
who shared with me,
who laughed with me,
who taught me
          that there are a million
                    different ways
                              to be a woman.

You made me,
a woman who listens,
a woman who cares,
a woman who is supportive,
a woman who is curious,
a woman who is vulnerable,
a woman who is joyful,
a woman who knows her worth,
a woman who can see
          the intersectionality
                    of what it means
                              to be a woman.

Every day I'm working to become,
A daughter who has made her parents proud.
A granddaughter who has honoured her past.
A niece who respects her elders.
A sister who has made a safe place for her siblings.
A cousin who is there for her cousins when they need her.
A friend who shows up for the good and the bad.
A partner who continues to learn new ways to show love.
An auntie who is always there to catch them.

So I can hopefully be
A mother who raises the next generation to be soft and kind.
A grandmother who gets to revel in the beauty of all she created.

I want to look back at the end of my days
          and know that
                    I was a woman
                              I'm proud of
                    because of all
          the women
who raised me.