Today, I want to honor some of the women in my life who live with courage. I watch them battle with great issues, and not give in, and never stop going. They fall, but get up, dust themselves off, and move on.

• She who is very close to me, who has seen enough trouble to fell any ordinary person… But she has survived it all, and remained dignified, standing tall. She didn’t just keep moving; she sought to conquer, putting her fears aside. Even now, with so much still going on, she is still keeping her head above water. She taught me that no mountain is unconquerable, and that life must be lived with great courage in the presence of fear. No matter how frightened you may be, you must keep pressing on. It may not get better immediately, but you will find courage in the darkness. And achieve a lot on the way.
• N, who falls down, hard, and gets up, and keeps going. She knows her weakness, and speaks of it so that it is becoming a great source of strength for others… She keeps her head up even though her “shame” is now public, and reaches out for help every time she needs it. She heard the bad news, dealt with it, and is now moving on with her life.
• L, who left to start over in a new place, leaving home and security and everything she was sure of, and is surviving.
• T, who is reaching for her dream in a far-off place, and who has not compromised that dream in spite of opposition…
• J, who’s taking baby steps to leave a bad place both physically and emotionally, who has finally found the strength to pull away… And the further she goes, the easier it becomes to look out for herself, rather than what was starting to drain her life…

I salute your strength!