Yesterday started the beginning of Women’s History Month. We celebrate Women’s History month for a lot of reasons, mainly to note unsung contributions by women and empower future generations through learning about the pioneering women of the past.
And there are a lot of badass women out there who paved the way for us.
On the top of my influential female celebrity list is Maya Angelou. I read her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in the 8th grade, and to say it inspired me is an understatement. The way Maya poured out childhood trauma and longing in such a raw and powerful way, and the way she used words to describe and transcend her circumstances…it’s been a major source of courage for me.
It’s taken a lot of courage to work on my upcoming record, which is largely about the abuse I endured in my 20s. For years, I’ve been hiding that painful part of my past. Frankly, I’d like to forget it ever happened and live presently. But my nightmares about that time have resurfaced, and I know on a deep level that processing those times will help me heal the pain that endures.
And I like the way that feels…to be a part of a legacy of women who have endured.
Reader, I don’t have a moral this week beyond feeling deeply grateful for the strong women in my personal life and those that have inspired me via their books, music, activism, etc. I’m grateful to have a daughter who is proud to be a girl. And I can’t tell you how much it made me smile to see her building a snowwoman this week, complete with a curvy waist and large breasts.
Happy Women’s History Month to us all. I’ll see you next Monday. -Em
