Dear diary,

It’s woman’s day today and I can only help but think about all of the strong women in the world. I first think about all of the women who I know personally. I think about my mother who has worked hard to provide for me and make sure that I had everything I needed. I think about my grandmother who has taken many roles including a chef, seamstress, hairdresser, etc. I think of my friends who have each personally dealt with, and are dealing with, their own personal battles but still continue to do their best to create a life they deserve.

Then, I think about the women who I’ve met briefly and even not at all. I think about all of the teachers who sometimes have to even take a motherly role and then go home to take care of their own kids. I think of all the businesswomen who have to work twice as hard just to make half of what a man makes. I think of all the women who feel they can’t show a bit of emotion because then they’ll look like they can’t handle situations.

I think about the women who are battling mental illnesses, but they carry on with life dealing with the things that are constantly put on their plates every single day. I think about the women who give birth but have to work again only a few weeks after. I think about the women who have lost a child, and though they’re hurting inside, they still manage to put on a smile.

I can’t help but think about how strong women have to be. We go through so much and get criticized for every little thing that we do. We have to go above and beyond just to make sure we’re protected in case something happens if we go anywhere by ourselves. We’re expected to hold every title known to man and still somehow add self-care in the mix, but only for a second until we’re needed again.

I also can’t help but think about how strong women just…are. Each and every single day we define what the strength of a woman means.

The strength of a woman is her getting that CEO position over her male coworker.

The strength of a woman is her dressing how she likes freely and ignoring opinions.

The strength of a woman is her taking her body back and making words like “slut” and “hoe” that are seen as negatives and turn them into positives.

The strength of a woman is her literally being the strongest in the room and lifting the heaviest weights (because…boss).

The strength of a woman is her crying and breaking down because she can admit that she doesn’t have it all together…and that’s okay.

I can’t help but think about how there isn’t one definition of a woman’s strength, and how there never will be just one. We can’t be placed in a box and we laugh at anyone who dares to try.

Happy Women’s Day!