To the amazing woman…

It is no secret that we women are sometimes our own enemies, with name calling, body shaming and rumor spreading just a few of the things that are tearing down what could be an wonderful sisterhood. As a mother to a two year old girl, one of my biggest wishes is that she gets to grow up in a society that is keen to see her thrive unlike my own experience growing up. If you are a woman and you have experienced some sort of discrimination or hate, or are just in need for a boost of self confidence, this post is for you.

I don’t pose for pictures in bikinis for several reasons, but I admire the women who do. It takes lots of confidence to post such pictures because the world is such an unkind place. Regardless of how perfect you look, there will always be someone who judges based on how skinny or how voluptuous a woman is; how tall or how short; how fair or how dark; how little she smiles or how big the smile is. If you are a woman who has the confidence to be yourself regardless of what the world thinks, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I don’t have to raise my little one by myself but I admire women who do. I am only half of the team that has to deal with this hyperactive and daring toddler who seems to have developed insomnia the minute she greeted the world. My mom raised my sister and me with no one but her mother to help, and while I did not understand it when she was alive, I commend her for never letting us see how exhausting we were. If you are a woman raising children alone, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I am not a stay at home mom, but I admire women who are. A lot of women get snide comments from their female counterparts that choose to work, because staying home is considered to be an easy way out of responsibilities. During this lockdown period, I got a true sense of what it means to be home with a child while still having to cook, clean and handle my own personal matters. It’s definitely not easy. If you are a stay at home mom, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I don’t wear a hijab because it is not required in my religion, but I admire women who do. Looking at me, no one can tell what my religious beliefs are which admittedly has more pros than cons. Although I am proudly Christian, I love to see women unafraid to stand up for their beliefs and wear their hijabs because to me, it shows how deep their faith lies. If you are a women who wears a hijab, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I’m not the breadwinner in my family – my husband holds that title – but I admire the women who aren’t lucky enough to have a healthy partner who can look after them financially. Six years into the corporate life, I can definitely admit that there are times when just getting out of bed is the very last thing I want to do, let alone endure an eleven hour workday. There are also times when life happens, and yet there will be that woman who wipes away her tears and heads out to earn for her family. If you are the primary source of income for your family, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I chose not to give birth the ‘natural way’, mainly due to my fears. While I do not regret choosing to have a C-section, I do know that choice was not medically justified. My experience was amazing, I think I would even go back to the same hospital to spend the weekend relaxing and being waited on hand and foot if I was given the choice, but that was something I was allowed to choose. If you had to have an emergency C-section or chose to brave the ring of fire, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I married a man who didn’t have any kids because my soul mate happened to come without any strings attached. My father had five children when he met the love of his life (my step mother), and as much as I didn’t see it that way then, I now understand that it was not easy for her to start a family with someone who had already done so with someone else. If you are a woman who married a man with kids, I congratulate you for being awesome!

I have only been pregnant once and was blessed to have carried my baby full term, but there are many women who are struggling to fall pregnant or whose pregnancy was not viable. Although I do not understand what that loss feels like, I do know that it takes a significant amount of strength to go on each day, dealing with the personal struggle. If you have had a miscarriage or have not been able to carry a baby full term, I commend you for your strength and congratulate you for being awesome.

If you are reading this and are a woman, I congratulate you for being awesome!