What women influence me?

A lot do!

My mothers, my sisters, and my grandmothers, my friends and artist friends, the women who work so hard, moms and single moms, and caretakers, the list goes on and on. It includes the women that you see on in this blog, the famous and not so famous, too many to list.

But when I get right down to it, the bottom line I would have to say it is…my daughters.
When I look at them, I say to myself, “self, you must have done something right”.
That right there gives me confidence when I am feeling down.

My children are my greatest works of art. I had no idea what I was doing. But do any of us really have any idea of what we are doing?
Maybe their father is responsible for the brilliant women that they are. He is a very good man. He has always been there for them when they were growing up and is to this day.

I get to take some of the credit though. Equal in marriage you know. I was the one that got to play with them, they helped me make things. We played with clay and they made things while I did. I treated them like the smart people they were. They were both with me and my husband all day at work and at home, everyday. It was not the way you did things when I was raising them. I questioned our method constantly.

Quantity was our parenting way. I don’t feel it was right or wrong. It was just the way we did it.
I thought that I was a pretty understanding and accepting person, until I met my girls. My girls see no color, they see no religion, they see no hate, and they see no handicaps. They do see fairness, justice, kindness, and have talent, personality, and love in their hearts.
They are nice to strangers and old people, and they are my dear friends now.

We go shopping together. We go out together. We do silly stuff together. I like it and I have tons of fun. I just enjoy their company.

When I watch them and see how they do things, my heart gets big, real big! I can not believe that I helped them become this wonderful.
All I did was love them with all of my heart, in the only way that I knew how at the time, and with the tools that I had.
“Self you must have done something right, very right.”

When I look at how I did it as compared to how my parents did it, it was very different, but I understand my parents more now too. All they did is love me with all of their hearts, the only way they knew how at the time, and with the tools they had.

When I think that my grand children might be even better versions of my kids…I think this whole world might just be OK!
The world is changing, can you feel it? Even with all the strife we have right now, underlying all that, can you feel the change? I can and I know.

When you spend time with your children or any children, take a moment, breathe, and bring your whole self to the space. For that one moment give them all the love you can, the only way you know how at the time, with the tools you have and listen. They are smart and you my friend can change the world, one child at a time.

I want to be better, I want to love stronger, I want more tools, I want to do the best that I can at the time I am in, and I want to change the world.
That is why my daughters influence me.

Think about this,

A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.

~ Diane Mariechild ~

I chose my daughters as the women that inspire and influence me because in reality it is too hard to choose just one woman; I am constantly being inspired by many women on a daily basis and believe it or not, sometimes even a man.