Grace, resilience and hope. Those are the three words that define the women who inspire me. And by that--in turn--have defined me, define me today and continue to define me. 

My mother has taught me that there is art everywhere, if you only seek out life’s beauty. That sometimes you simply need to dance to music in your kitchen in pajamas. That you absolutely should stop on your walks to smell the flowers. That joy has no age. That laughter is contagious. That there always, always can be an air of lightness, even in the darkest of times. She carries herself with style, unmatched by most. She inspires me to be myself, unapologetically. Through her, I know grace.

My sister has taught me that there is light even in hardship. That softness doesn’t equal weakness. That nothing compares to the roar of a mother. Or to the protective arms of a sister. In her strength lies infinite tenderness. That you can stay strong through your pain and grow flowers from it. And that there will always be someone to help you water the garden. That in the end, there will always be unconditional love. She inspires me to find the strength to rise. Through her, I know resilience.

My niece has taught me to look forward to what is yet to come. It is through her that I see the future. Her dreams, her fears, her aspirations. Her untamed curiosity for life. That there are endless opportunities to grow. To learn. To try, to fall down and to stand back up again. That this is how you learn to walk this life. That this life has so much more to give. That you grab and hold on to those dreams. It is for her that I want to make this world a better place for the generations to come. She inspires me for the future. Through her, I know hope.

Grace, resilience and hope. Those are some of the words that define the women who inspire me. Not pretty. Not beautiful. Not because they aren’t but because they are so much more than that. Pretty. Beautiful. Those words are too simple, too lazy to describe them. They are a hurricane. They are extraordinary. They are capable of anything they set their mind to. Their determination can move mountains.

Because from the day they are born, women hold deep within them all they need for this world. It is the world that teaches them that they might not. But aren’t we all born from the sacrifices of the women who have come before us?

All I know now has its roots in them. Roots that ground me. Roots that let me grow freely and independently. Roots that will always shine a light and guide me home. Roots that have made me the person I am.

I am because of them. Because of the women of the past, of the present, of the future.