I’m tired of it.  Not just tired of it, but sick and tired of it.  And on September 8, 2018, something happened that pushed me over the edge and compelled me to write for all the world to hear and, especially, for all the women in the world to hear.

My husband and I were on a small getaway to NYC for a few days in September.  We filled our time with museums, Broadway shows, fabulous restaurants and a few sporting events.  Believe it or not, the only reason we were in New York was because my husband bought tickets to see the US Men’s National team play Brazil at Metlife Stadium.  But when it happened, we were not at Metlife but at Yankee Stadium to see NYC FC play DC United.  That’s a lot of letters!  We decided to go to the gift shop to find my dad a souvenir because he loves the Yankees.  The lady at the check out counter peered over her shoulder at the television which was showing live footage of the US Open.  While it was comical that we were at a legendary baseball stadium to watch MLS soccer and tennis was actually showing on all the televisions, what the lady behind the counter said made me cringe.  She said, “I wondered how well she would do after having that baby.”

For crying out loud!  For those of you reading who may not be sports fans, Serena Williams was playing in the final of the U.S. Open, her first major appearance since giving birth to her daughter, and this lady behind the counter degraded her.  She degraded her as a professional tennis player, as a working mom, and as a fellow woman.  The tone in her voice belittled Serena like she could never measure up or be what she used to be.

Has anyone ever made you feel that way?  Or, have you ever made someone else feel that way.  I can think of many times I’ve felt the sting of discouraging words and many times I’ve also felt the guilt of my own disrespectful remarks.  God’s word tells us to not let “any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only what is useful for building others up.”  Only what is useful for building up someone.  Only what is useful for lifting them up, encouraging them, inspiring them.  Only what is useful for helping them.  I’m tired of it.  I’m tired of women degrading and disrespecting other women.  I’m tired of us seeing other women as our enemies and not as our biggest fans.  We all have enough chaos is our lives, and the last thing we need is other women tearing us down.  It’s time to put a stop to it.   No, I’m definitely not a raging feminist, and, no, I don’t stand barefoot in the kitchen waiting on my husband to come home either.  I am a woman.  It doesn’t matter if I am a mom or not, if I work or not, if I am married or not.  I am a woman with or without all of these things, and I am trying to do life as a woman.

What would happen if we chose to only build each other up?  What would happen if we chose to only encourage?  To only utter words that would unify and not tear apart?  What would happen if we chose to only speak what will actually help each other and not to sabotage each other? What would happen if we extended grace to other women?   Oh, and what if we were intentional about doing this?  What if we stepped out of our own little worlds and explored someone else’s world in order to help them or build them up?

This blog is for women.  Not just for moms, not just for wives, not just for working women, not just for younger women, but for all of us.  This blog is meant for all women.  It’s meant to be a place of encouragement, inspiration, resources, and help!  I pray that we would give grace, show love, and embrace the chaos that we call womanhood!  And let’s do it together!  I hope to get to know you, and I hope this site is a fun and safe place for you to be encouraged and encourage others!

Give grace, show love and embrace chaos!