Phenomenal Woman, That's Me

It was just International Women's Day. Frankly, I've never heard of that before, but I'm under a rock in many ways. I am a mix of highly aware and totally unaware. It's quite symbolic that I have never heard of it before; this is the first year of my life that I'm fully embracing myself in all ways, especially as a woman. I find my discovery of this day as being consistent with my discovery of my own female powers. All the lady love on social media is wonderful. If we have national days celebrating nonsense like donuts and pizza🙄, we can damn well have a women's day🍩🍕🙋🏼.

Only women who love themselves can freely give love and credit to others. Those that can't are shackled down by insecurity and jealousy. It's a simple equation. I know from my own personal journey of growth, that those times I leaned more towards criticism or judgement were clear indicators of my own lacking. If I wasn't in a secure, happy place then I wasn't entirely happy for others. So much time was wasted like this. I didn't like thinking or sounding like a catty bitch, but it was all I knew. I was constantly surrounded by whining, negative women who have a negative comment for everything, so I just assumed this was how chicks roll. Now I realize it's a mental prison of their own making, and I was paroled. A female penitentiary in the abstract sense. Those inmates be crazy bitches. I have separated myself entirely from anyone who exists on those patterns. It's not in keeping with the vibration I have discovered, and work so hard to maintain. Honestly, tearing others down is a form of laziness. It avoids doing self study to try to figure out why you're acting like that. It's like emotional junk food; a bite of something chemical and poisonous that tastes good, but that will rot your insides. Shitting on others momentarily feeds the ego since it makes us feel superior in that moment, but then we crash and feel bad. So we keep doing it. It's a vicious cycle many women never get out of. It's a life sentence.
   

My newfound and hard earned emotional, mental, and spiritual freedom has gifted me so many things. One of the most important results of this has been this incredible group of women who are my absolute support system. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. It overwhelms me with gratitude. They are my family in the truest sense. I am single but I am never alone. As I navigate so many changes in my life, I feel bolstered by this loving female safety net. These women believe I can do anything. They put the abstract concept of unconditional love into practice. Some I've known for a long time, some short. Some I speak to often, others sporadically. Those details are irrelevant, the feeling I get from our spiritual connections is the same. I usually never name those I reference, but I feel like doing it now. Stephanie, Betsy, and Vicki are my yoga teachers and healers. They more than anyone taught me how to love and embrace myself. Thereby enabling me to embrace life. The women in my sunrise yoga class who I see every morning to gather energy from. We need no words to speak to each other. Tzvia, whose presence in my life is hard to describe. Nyla and Rogue, my DJ inspirations, my messengers of music. Kate, my Scratch friend. Shira, Deena, and Sarrah; holy shit. I haven't found the words yet for them, and I'm pretty wordy. Aimee and Eden give me wisdom for days, and laughs for years. Karen, Sonja, and Federica opened up worlds. Chavi and Nikki are so loving, always with an ear. M the phoenix. Netali for giving me my first job. And my fellow LB , who has been providing me with love, laughs, life coaching, and our own unique brand of lunacy since we are 15. The leash she has me on, which stretches from the West Coast, gives me freedom to grow while seeing the open potholes before I do. This girl could write a fat book on me, that's how well she knows my every single artery and vein.

It is deeply joyful and gratifying to observe how my daughters have built their own female support systems. Each of my girls has had the same BFF since they're 4 and 6, respectively. E has J, who is like my 5th child, and L has E, the kindest kid on earth. My kids must be very good friends themselves to receive such friendship bonds from others. This fills me with pride. Friends are the family we choose, and blood is not always thicker than water. Family is a feeling. Sisterhood is energetic. I wish for my daughters that they always have these carefully chosen, loving, loyal bonds. Women have a biological need to reach out to one another and forge connections as deep as roots. When our arrow lands on the right person it's magical.

All these women allow me to go forth and figure myself out. I am brave but very innocent, vulnerable yet strong. As all women are. We are braver and more vulnerable if we are together. We bring out the best in each other. I can fly since I have clearly identified this group as my landing pad. Emergency landings included, and there will be many. One day we will all be on a mountain top together doing you know what...  The feminine mystique...

Love, LB 2.0