Post by the amazing Louise from our blog team.
My mum is an incredible woman. She’s a pathologist, a hiker, an amateur actress, a mother and a grandmother, and she can do a cryptic crossword in no time at all. She might also be the kindest person I know, working tirelessly for her family and community and never expecting any thanks. This Mother’s Day, I’m thinking of her and of all the other strong women in our communities who teach us what it means to be a woman.
Of course, no two women are the same, and so there are an infinite number of ways to exist as women. Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to think not only of biological mothers and grandmothers, but of every female mentor who shows us something about ourselves and opens up doors to us as women.
When I sit and think about it, I feel pretty lucky to have a very long list of women who have influenced me. There’s the high school English teachers who taught me about feminism, and the old family friends who sat for hours over the table with cups of tea, discussing everything from pregnancy to politics. There’s my big sisters. And there’s women my own age too – my friend Ellecha is a volunteer extraordinaire – Country to Canberra being one wonderful organisation she gives her time to! – and she inspires me every day.
Strong women role models come in every shape and size, and from all walks of life. Some of them you know for years, and some you only interact with once. This Mother’s Day, among the flowers and cards and massage vouchers, let’s take a moment to consider how important and priceless our long lists of role models are – and maybe think of how we can model womanhood for other women too!