Phenomenal Woman
I remember the first time I read Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. Where I was? What I was doing? No idea. It may sound cliche but more than anything I remember so very clearly how it made me feel. Well done, Maya. Well done.
And that's what great writing does. It makes you feel. I remember I felt a sense of connection. Somebody gets it! Somebody gets me! I have a kindred spirit. There are other people in this big world that don't know me a bit but look at some certain thing in the same certain way that I do. It felt good. It felt right. It felt beautiful.
Mommy bloggers get knocked around a little. Bloggers get knocked down. A lot. I've been the one doing the knocking every so often (because really sometimes there are more words than sense floating around out there). But, there's a beauty in all the words we're drowning in. They give us that thing that the masters gave us like Maya - connection.
I am no Maya. And if you're reading this it's pretty likely you aren't either. And that's okay. You're a person though. Probably a mom. And maybe at this moment you need someone to remind you that you are phenomenal. Period. You are a woman and there is none like you. Anywhere. Well done for being you. Now do it well.
If there's one gift we can give each other as women it's a willingness to be open. Open ears and eyes and hearts and then an open hand. It's the willingness to connect. Whether you're a new writer or an old one. Whether you're a fresh momma or well-seasoned we all have the chance to connect in a real way if we so choose. And the chance to be phenomenal and acknowledge how very phenomenal other women are every day.
Instead of choosing the mask and the "How are you today?" "Great!" (really I'm dying over here and have a bit of dried guacamole in my hair and a deadline) we can be real. Maybe not with the "pay attention to me!" Facebook post over there, babe. But, in a real way. With those trusted and beloved women in your life. Those phenomenal women.
Connecting with people in a powerful way may be well done by women like Maya Angelou, but they don't have a market on it. It's called being a human. And we all need to try it.
Work on being phenomenal and giving a big round of applause to the phenomenal women in your life and then give a strong, hearty, nonjudgemental open hand to the mommas struggling to be phenomenal. Because together we can most certainly do phenomenal things.
