Dear Darlings,

Today is International Women’s Day. A day that we celebrate all the women who have and are currently fighting for gender equality. And (wo)man! (See what I did there?) Do I know some WOMEN! Women who are teachers, doctors, writers, creative directors, and presidents of production companies. I know women who are fighting for desegregation of public schools (yes, we are still segregated despite the laws) and women who are saving refugees. I know women who are leaving husbands because they deserve better, women who are running their own successful businesses and one who has her own tv show. I know women who are raising children despite anyone really noticing how hard it is. And I know women who are raising children alone. And thanks to all of these remarkable gal pals in my life, I am reminded every day of what the possibilities are for the future if we just keep going. If we just keep moving and creating and hoping and dreaming and working and learning and exploring and FIGHTING.

Thank goodness for these women. Because I’ve been searching for some sort of inspiration. I have not written anything in a while. Too long a while. The last six months at our house have been downright shitty. There has been lead poisoning and influenza type A (times four), stomach flu (times three), fever viruses, walking pneumonia and whooping cough. There has been money crap. There has been house crap. There has been family crap. There has been dog crap. (Literally and figuratively.) There has been a man in this home that is so stressed out and run down by a job that he hates, that it’s been hard to find any joy. There’s been a woman in this house that has been beaten down by all the down that she can’t find it either. And we are over all the crap. Our marriage and friendships and relationships and self-love have taken a hit. And when you don’t have those then what do you have really?

But today as I was reading about all the remarkable women that came before us and those currently leading the march, those who fought for our right to fulfill our dreams and achieve our potential; I looked at what they had been up against. I looked at all their crap. The government, the men, the rules, the cruelty and all the pain. And I realized that if they could give us the right to vote, create equal pay in the workplace and help end slavery, (and simultaneously make dinner and bathe babies I might add) while being up against far more than I can realistically fathom, then I can keep going. I realized that I stopped trying and just gave into my crap. Because honestly? It was hard. And I am tired. But those women were TIRED! So no more. I want to be part of it again. Today I’m back in the game. Persisting! Inspired by these pushy broads and power houses. They didn’t quit and we can’t either. Wherever it is we want to be - successful within our relationships, career, humanity, the planet or within our whole SELF - we can get there. Together.

So right now as you’re reading this, maybe you’re in the middle of crap. Maybe it’s financial crap, or marriage crap, or school crap, or job crap, or health crap or just plain old life crap. Just know you aren’t alone. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been tired. So have a good cry and little nap. Then open your eyes and start moving your feet. We’ll sleep when we’re dead. And we have a lot of work to do before then.