Women’s History Month = Strength

As March wraps up, I want to acknowledge Women’s History Month. I know it’s an opportunity to recognize strong women and bring continued attention to the need for wage equity.

However, I want to highlight what I love about being a woman: Being a mom and a wife.

I was a mother first. I raised my beautiful daughter Madden on my own. While it wasn’t always easy, it was always wonderful. Being a mother is the hardest and yet the most fulfilling role of my life. She’s simply the biggest joy of my life.

haun-wedding-st-paul-hotel-courthous-wedding-298 Rob and I married late in life. We were both around age 50 when we tied the knot. It was the easiest decision to say yes to him. Our love feels easy, I believe, because we’ve always been meant to be.

Yes, I’ve had a long corporate career and worked for most of my adult life. As I raised Madden I didn’t have a choice but to work and provide a good life for us. But when I look at my life, it’s not the work I did for pay that stands out. Instead, unapologetically, it’s the roles of wife and mother.

I believe that the strength of being a woman to me is that I get to choose how I want to show up in the world. I love being a feminine woman. That means I choose to take care of my husband. And, likewise, I love it when he takes care of me. That’s not being a weak woman. It’s, instead, a sign of strength.

I’ve always wanted to be a role model for my daughter throughout her life. I hope I have been that to her. She’s a strong, goal-oriented, creative, and beautiful woman in her own right. Heck, she inspires me!

At the end of Women’s History Month, I’m celebrating my own womanhood, motherhood and marriage partnership.