Inspiring Women—Strengthening Each Other Through Our Trials
me • my world • relationships
I attended an event last night sponsored by Cherish Bound where I was taken back to my childhood as I listened to professional story tellers share their growing up tales. If I were an artist and could have captured one sketch of the room it would have included women laughing, sharing, talking, delighting in delicacies, and relishing in the beauty of a simple, yet rejuvenating girl’s night out. And yet, one element would have been missing, because how do you capture strength and dedication in a drawing?
If you could look closely—perhaps only possible through a 3D sketch, allowing you to go much further beyond the surface—you’d realize that the laughter and sharing was made up of far more than glee and fun. It was made up of experience, learning, and LIFE!
You’d learn that one woman in the room has breast cancer and had recently undergone a double mastectomy. One woman has Lupus and she made a choice to trade one night of connection for several energy-less days after. Of course, we only saw her laughter. One woman has had 42 staples in her head and 4 screws in her jaw from Epilepsy. Another is in and out of the hospital on a monthly basis with her toddler, hearing shifting diagnosis and unanswered questions. Yet another is fighting a court battle to keep her adopted son. A couple are on the brink of bankruptcy. More than one woman is pregnant and one in particular is experiencing the joys of all-day/all-pregnancy sickness. Another was experiencing her last hooray before uprooting her family to move them cross country for her husband’s education. More than one woman didn’t know a single soul in the room. One gal was recently divorced and many were single parents. A couple were empty nesters, vying for more time with their grandchildren. Yet another was fighting to keep her business afloat during these hard economic times. The list could go on, making the stories within the stories much deeper and richer in color.
But to look at the room—or the sketch I would have drawn—wouldn’t have told you all that. And yet, that strength, that dedication to endure and triumph through life’s challenges is what makes inspiring women out of us all. It connects us, draws us to each other, gives us the compassion and knowledge to support each other. Ultimately, it empowers us to change the world one mom at a time.
Today’s “inspiring moms” post is a dedication to women everywhere who have stories upon stories, some for public view and others under lock and key. The tightly woven and intricate patterns of your lives, with broken thread and mistakes and all, make the world a better place to be! Thanks for inspiring me!
Thank you for inspiring ME! You are so friendly and compassionate, I’m not surprised you know all these details. I want to be more like that!
Last night was amazing! I teared up at Wendy’s story. I loved the feel in the air, and the uh-mazing feeling being with all of you wonderful women. Ya’ll inspire me, and make me want to aspire to be more. Thank you. Thank you for all you do for me.
Dear Jyl…. and everyone who was with us in that room Thursday night. Thank you for sharing your evening, your smiles, even some tears. Thank you for sharing your stories and listening to ours. We can’t wait to do it again… and see you all at Timp!
Carol
Aww Jyl! It was an amazing night. I loved the whole thing.
Wow! What an amazing post! Jyl, you couldn’t have said it more perfectly. There is something power when it comes to story…. I’m so glad you were all able to participate in that amazing night! Hope I can meet you all at the Story Festival!!!
Jyl…thank you for sharing such a wonderful story and painting a beautiful picture of the event, the room, the women and their stories. As a Cherish/BOUND consultant in Florida, I was unable to attend this event, so it was amazing to feel connected through your story! I know some of those super fantastic women and I thank heaven they are a part of my life and I can’t wait to see them at our conference in September, maybe I’ll get to meet you as well! Take care, Vicky
Jyl -
Thanks so much for trying to help me feel comfortable at the event the other night. You seem to be able to put people at ease. I’m not usually that quiet! It was fun to meet other bloggers. I can’t wait to get that list from you of all the “blogs” that attended. It will be fun to get to know each one of them better.
Thanks again and hope to see you at Timp.
-Kara
I’m a little late on this, but need to comment on your post! You really are amazing with people and made me feel so comfortable at my first blogging event, not knowing very many women there. But, you could feel the energy. Definitely a group of inspiring women! Thanks for putting this together – and for your inspirational blog!
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