Day 1137: International Women's Day

I've been kind of fighting this post for a little while now.  But, then I was reminded that today is International Women's Day and I knew it was the right time.

I knew nothing of International Women's Day until 10 years ago when my then-boyfriend (soon-to-be fiance), HH, proudly presented me with a potted gerbera daisy in honor of the event.  How cute is he?  That poor little daisy succumbed to my less-than-green thumb long ago and I still don't know what the intended purpose of the day is, but here is my input for the day:

At my therapy appointment last week, one of my "homework" assignments was to write a list of my admirable qualities.  I came home and reluctantly did so in my journal.  Then I turned the page and wrote that of all the attributes I had just assigned myself, the only one I truly believed I possess was the first one--I am funny.

I'll be honest, it hurt to admit this to myself.  So, I've been kicking the whole thing around inside my head ever since, in part because I knew I hadn't really accomplished the purpose of the assignment, and in part because I know I'm not alone in this line of thinking.  And eventually, both of those parts came together and I realized I should do a post about it.

1.  Because I'm pretty sure that sharing my list publicly will help me to internalize and believe it more; and 2.  Because I'm hoping to inspire someone else.

There is sort of this unspoken rule that you ought not to acknowledge your own strength and abilities.  If someone compliments you, you duck your head and say something dismissive.  Otherwise, someone might think you're prideful and snobby.  But, not admitting, or accepting, your admirable qualities isn't humility.  It's silliness.  So many women are trying to be Super Woman--that woman who really does have it all and has it all together, but when someone acknowledges any piece of this, we have to brush it off.  Silly.  I say, forget that.  It's time to start owning who you are.

So, I'm going to share my list with you.  And I'm going to ignore that voice that is reminding me that I can't own these qualities because I sometimes slip up and am not consistently the person they describe.  Because some (okay, a lot) of these qualities really are a work in progress.  And the voice that is cautioning me that someone who reads this might disagree on a point, or two.  And I'm just going to share it.

And then I hope that you'll do the same thing.  You are more than welcome to share it in a comment here, but I'd love if you made your list more public as well.  Trust me, it might feel a little embarrassing to toot your own horn, but it will feel good too.  And then maybe you can inspire some other woman.  Post it on your own blog and post a link here in the comments, so I can read all about who you are.  Share it on facebook.  Call up your best friend, your dad, your boss and share it with them.  I was discussing it with Sweet P and Little M last night and they had plenty of ideas of their own to add to my list.

It's okay to be happy with who you are.  Acknowledge it.  Love it.  And when someone pays you a compliment today, own it.  Look them in the eye and say, "thank you".

My List:

• I am funny
• I am a great wife
• I am a really good mom, even when my children are challenging
• I am patient
• I am a good listener
• I am a reliable friend
• I am a caring person
• I am good at helping others be happy
• I am courageous in sharing a very personal part of my life here on my blog
• I am a hard worker
• I am persistent in the face of adversity
• I am intelligent
• I am a rock star in the kitchen--I cook tasty meals and I bake delicious delights
• I am a pretty good runner
• I am in good shape because I work hard for it
• I am lovable
• I am a daughter of God

Happy International Women's Day!