We are Warriors!

Sometimes I think I should start blogs with a warning, like today’s blog, I should warn you all that this is a rambling blog that should be a spinoff of “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey”.  Perhaps these thoughts are not all that deep, but I can guarantee you they won’t be that funny.  So you’ve been warned.

Today, in my Facebook memories (which remind me to come back to on another blog), a quote that I shared last year at this time popped back up.  It was a quote from one of my favorite books as a child, The Velveteen Rabbit.  Which, incidentally, is also the book that caused me to treat my toys better and never give or throw one away because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings.  To me the quote is probably one of the most powerful messages I have ever read.  I love that it talks about becoming real, but to become real is a real struggle.  Sometimes that struggle leaves us looking and feeling a little worn out, but to those who understand and appreciate it, we will never be ugly.  Wow.  Don’t we all need to be told this and reminded of this.  

So many times friends and I are talking and we talk about how we are messed up, how we have these insecurities, how we don’t feel good about our weight, our wrinkles, our gray hair, our personalities, our jobs, our financial status, etc…  When I shared that quote a year ago, I was struggling with being called “emotional” and “crazy” by someone close to me.  But this quote helped me see that was okay.  That is what happens when you are real.  And those that understand and love us will be okay with that too.  Those are the people that count.  

It’s ironic that the following quote popped up somewhere this week also.  I can’t remember where I initially saw it, but it goes along with the “rabbit” quote so well.  So much of my life I have been made fun of for being emotional; quick to tears, quick to anger, quick to laugh and quick to worry.   I’ve worked and worked on the negative parts, anger and worry, but I’ve also grown to realize that part of all this emotion is just who I am.  I notice things, I notice people and I care.  That’s not always such a bad thing.  Yes, it makes my life more difficult.  But I can’t and maybe more importantly, shouldn’t shut that off.  

I jokingly tell people, including my students - and I might have them convinced, that I am Wonder Woman.  I have the t-shirt (complete with cape), okay - I actually have several t-shirts, an action figure, a stuffed doll, and the book.  It started as a complete joke.  Someone, who was not very happy with me, made the sarcastic comment, “oh I forgot, you’re Wonder Woman,” and of course, rather than get angry, I proudly accepted that title and ran with it. But really, I know so many “wonder women” in my life.  Women that have been broken, beaten down, faced issues that no one should tackle and kept putting one foot in front of the other.  Not only kept going, but stayed kind, generous, compassionate and thankful during that time as well.  We are warriors.  Maybe not the golden rope and bullet proof kind, but heroes nonetheless to those that love us and care about us.  Wear your warrior side with pride.  

Which brings me to a final quote to share.  Sometimes we forget to wear our wrinkles, gray hair, saggy arms, our empty checking accounts and our hearts out for all to see.  We should be proud and share without reservations.  We’ve earned every bit and it has made us who we are, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.  So let’s keep reminding each other, let’s help each other never forget that we are magical, we are worthy, we are warriors!