A Letter To Chloe on International Women’s day
Dear Chloe,
You might not know me. I’m Frank’s Mom. I’m the one who always cheers a little too loud when you score. Not because you score most of the points on our team, but because you always show up to the court prepared, fierce. And when you score, you celebrate your wins. You don’t try to act modest to make us feel comfortable.
My middle school didn’t have a girls’ soccer team, so I tried out for the boys’ Junior Varsity team. I earned a spot on the team. I even played some decent minutes on the field that season. I wasn’t great, but I learned a lot about knowing you deserve to be somewhere even when everyone else needs some time to catch up.
Today is International Women’s Day. Did you know that? I never remember that being a thing when I was your age. As white, middle-class girls in Virginia, we aren’t up against much of a fight until we get a little older. But, I have some advice for you about protecting the fierce tenacity and bravery you already possess. People will want to make you be quieter, softer, nicer, smaller. They may ask you to prove that you belong someplace where your heart already exists. But those people are on the other team. And you don’t play for them.
You have to build your own team, stack your roster of friendships with other women who will fight, like you, with love. The great thing about being a grown-up is that you get to be the team captain of your own life. But you’ve got to choose your team wisely.
My life team is full of heart-centered women who are bringing their A-game, every day no matter how tough it gets out there, and using each other as bench strength.
They fight for trans kids’ rights and their families.
They fight for BIPOC’s human rights and mental health.
They fight for women in leadership to take up space and let their employee’s voices be heard.
They fight against people-pleasing, especially in the workplace.
They fight for us to reconnect to the earth and our intuition.
They fight for the underrepresented artists.
They fight for the Ukrainian mothers who have to fight a war while feeding their babies. Can you imagine that?
I liked to think that we were all a team working to build the scaffolding for you to climb up. But, I think it may be the other way around. You, and that young Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai…it’s you that are holding us all up. Keep it up, wee one. You’ve got this. I believe in you.
Meredith