Let's Taco About The Ladies

The question prompt for this article had me baffled. Tell us about a woman who inspires you, who motivates you, someone who you look up to or have learned something valuable from. Whether it’s your mom, sister, school teacher, an entrepreneur you admire, or an activist you support, we want you to share the impact they’ve had in your life and how they continue to inspire you.

I let this prompt sit in my inbox for weeks. Starting a draft, deleting it. Writing on a napkin, throwing it away (or forgetting I wrote on it and used it to clean my hands, cuz gelatto).

An endless cycle of draft, delete, draft, delete - because ultimately picking one woman was well, feeling improbable.

Initially I was thinking this needed to be something sappy. But since we're all stuck in quarantine & we have a Netflix queue of crap that could make us cry - I decided not today Satan.

My story (like everyones) is layered together by multiple interactions and from women across all walks of life. And without that I would never have the balance I do today.

It begins with my mom - who always shows an unwavering love & no matter the distance or my age - she will be there for me with a single phone call asking for help, because I'm her baby.

Next is my aunts and grandmothers - who show me relentlessly that kindness, empathy & compassion - will lead me to a genuine and balanced life which is something money won't ever buy.

And my girl gang made up of my cousins and friends - which even though it's changed shapes and size throughout my life - has remained steady in keeping my grounded, calling me out on my BS, and binge watching the latest and greatest on the CW no matter our age.

The group of fierce female mommas & business women that I know (an yes they are lumped together because they are fierce in so many similar ways) - who've taught me to turn the radio station of the haters down and turn the dial up on the #positivevibes.

Sometimes chapters of my story are focused on deep conversations, and others are focused on funny one liners from random strangers at the bar. Outside of women who are just physically in my life there are so many women who have shaped my life & imagination from the pages of history books, romance novels and great adventure stories.

The list is endless & doesn't fit into a specific industry - Jon of Arc, Harriet Tubman, Masha Gordon, Diana Ross and on and on and on. Characters (both real and fictional) in documentaries and books - have shaped my belief in needing to shatter a glass ceiling - as opposed to just settling to ask for a glass slipper (unless it's your choice to be Cinderella - because those sparkly shoes are pretty dope).

If you take away one of the groups of women above I'm fully convinced that my life may have turned out drastically different than it has. One story that I wasn't coaxed to read, or phone call I decided not to hit accept on - could have lead me down a different yellow brick road.

It's quite literally impossible for me to chose one of the groups above, let alone a single human (or character) because each and every female in my life has touched me in so many unforgettable ways - yes somehow even stories about Joan of Arc have left an incredible mark.

It's possible (more likely probable) - that I could just need ADD medication - but while writing this I realized that women as a group are who inspire and shape my life not an individual.