Life is tough and being a female is so challenging, I'm not saying being a male is not. I'm sure they struggle with male issues just as much as females, I however am female and I choose to write about being female. 
What does it mean to be a girl, a woman?  Does it mean we have to make ourselves pretty everyday? because after all beautiful women are looked at everyday. The world loves beautiful women....

This statement is powerful and can be hurtful to young girls and women that struggle with not feeling beautiful.  I'd like to discuss what I feel makes a girl and woman beautiful.

Define beauty: Beauty is the depth of your eyes, the pain you've gone through, the distance you've ran, mountains you've climbed.  Physical beauty is a small component of the true beauty that lies within each of us. Yet we look in the mirror everyday and judge how we look. Picking ourselves apart because we may have one to many blemishes or maybe our body has too much fat or stretch marks, or a scar from bringing a baby into the world.

What would your world look like if you truly looked at yourself and embraced all the things you've been judging yourself for.  I've been challenging myself to do just that.  Can we change how we look at ourselves and teach the world to change too? I say yes we can, and I think it's time we do just that.  It is 2019, a fast paced world of electronics, cars, stores, fast food restaurants and so many options for education (that is a different blog). It is time that women love themselves for who they and stop trying to fit into the model of what the world expects we should be. If you 90 pounds, or 300 pounds, you have perfect complexion or beauty spots, scars, stretch marks, small busted or larger sized, short or long hair. It does not matter. You are beautiful. YOU define beauty....it's YOU.

Mother -Daughter Love

I think often of my mother, the relationship I had with her as I was growing up and our relationship once I became a mother. As a child and teenager I was always daddy's girl. But once I became a mom, my relationship became stronger and we became closer. As my mother grew older, my love deepened for her and the bond we shred was one full love and respect. My mom enjoyed telling me stories of her life and things she experienced as a girl with a disability. My mom had polio at a young age, which left her with a crippling defect. There were things she could not do and limitations she faced everyday.
But one thing she accomplished was raising six children. I was the baby of six and very spoiled. I was an awkward, clumsy, skinny girl with insecurities I kept hidden. My mother would not allow me to feel sorry for myself or self doubt who I was. She knew my strength was the love and compassion I felt for rothers, others that struggled or did not fit it with anyone. My mom told me many times I was a girl with a heart bigger than myself and would grow up to help others and Ben special.  I don't consider myself special, but I do have love and compassion for others.  Because of my mother I am a strong, opinated woman that will will advocate forself and others.  My mother is no longer with us and I miss her everyday. I have a sister that I'm close to and she also is a strong, opinated woman.
I have a daughter which is a beautiful, wonderful mother that also is strong and opinated. I have a daughter in law that is also beauful, strong, opinated and a wonderful mother.  I have a new daughter in law that I'm learning more about every day. My blessings continue with 5 granddaughters that are beautiful, strong and proud to say opinated. I truly have and continue to be blessed. A family full of strong women that are confident I who they are.  As all of you, you too should be strong and proud of who you are. Teach your daughters to be strong and proud, and yes a little opinated.

Female Friendship

As our lives move day to day, we meet people everyday and some of those people become life long friends. I'm a person, that has always made friends with males and females. My guy friends are important to me and I'm glad that I have them (that's a different blog) My husband is my overall (again, another blog) best friend. However, when we have girls as friends, there is a special bond like no other. I am blessed to have met some wonderful ladies and thankful they have been a part of my life. Some I have known since elementary days and some I recently met. None are more important than the other. They are all strong women and hold so much love and passion in thier lives.  I love hearing their stories and am honored that I have been a part of some aspect of their stories.  We as women need our "girlfriends", we build one another up and are strong for one another.  We understand the hurt our heart feels over serious situations and minor silly "girl emotions".  We have an unspoken trust and love for one another that most men don't get. We can see each other everyday or go years without seeing one another. But, the bond is still there and we can pick up where we left off even it was from years before. That unspoken bond we have is female friendship that will last a life time. I'm blessed to have had and still have good female friends.

Young Girls Are Powerful

Young Girls Are Powerful

I love seeing the power of young girls, they show strength in all they do. I watch my 5 girls as they stand tall and are strong young women. Ranging in ages from 9 to 18, but none being any less stronger than the other. What is their strength? Where does it come from?  They are being raised by very strong, independent, loving mothers that have taught them to be proud of who they are and to always stand up for what they believe in and for who they are.  I being their grandmother also remind them to be strong and proud of who they are.  As time goes by I see the strength in each of them and I couldn't be more proud of them.  They each show their strength in different ways and it shows when they spend time together. The love they have for each other shows strength in all they do. I have no doubt they will each conquer their dreams and be strong women at each facit of their lives.  It is my hope they will continue to be close and always be there for each other.  Never forgetting who they are and who they want to be.  Always stay strong and stand proud of who you are and who you will be.