International Women​‌’s Day

Happy International Women’s day to all women in every corner of the world. I am so thankful I am a woman and nothing makes me prouder of that fact than today. I am the eldest of 4 daughters and no brothers. Growing up, my parents were constantly told by some relatives how a son is so important for the family. My amazing parents were not bothered by these talks, that but there were times when my mother couldn’t take it. I would feel so bad for her for having to listen to these things. One day, my father told us about one of his colleagues whose child was going to undergo sex reassignment surgery. I was too young to understand why kids would want to change their gender, but I immediately told my mother that maybe I should get it done so she won’t have to listen to anyone tell her she doesn’t have a son. My mother hugged me and reassured me that none of those talks fazed her and she can’t be more proud of us.

As a young girl, being told that my sisters and I were not enough for our parents and having a son would complete the family would make me very angry and sad. But I didn’t see myself as anything lesser than a boy and that is thanks to my parents. They would always tell us we can do anything a boy or man could do and we would do it better. My amazing parents were so instrumental in making me believe that even when I heard otherwise around me. I was the first girl in my family to graduate and while it has been a few years, my grandmother can’t stop mentioning this to all her friends and family. I feel incredibly lucky and so thankful for my family. So while this day is for all women, I am celebrating my strong mother and grandmother.