Inspired by A Group of Amazing Women

Amazing doesn't even begin to describe how the world can be. With open eyes, you'll begin to notice how inspiring the world can be.

Each life is full of unique and beautiful experiences, all with their own trials. I had the privilege this weekend to spend time with some very wonderful girls, each one brilliant and inspiring. My best friend's mother had taken us to go get pedicures. I, personally, feel like I was the least inspiring out of the five of us there.

My best friend's mother sits, her eyes full of joy, saying she is so proud to have so many strong, beautiful women in her life. She is a veteran, divorced twice, with four kids and plenty of room in her heart for more (she calls me her adopted daughter). Her mother, much like mine, had made it difficult for her at times to grow as an individual. Through some unspeakable things she has been through, this amazing woman has stood strong next to me in a way that few have ever been. Regardless of the situation, she remains positive and her willingness to assist others is beyond imagination.

My best friend's sister is a soldier. With a smile in her eyes, she explains one of her greatest difficulties: "people don't get it. It is so difficult to be a soldier because, if you haven't been there, you don't understand what it's like. Sometimes, you ask 'why me?' If you stand next to someone and a bullet comes and kills that person next to you, you don't understand why it wasn't you. No one knows what it's like to not have a friend come back or to hear that someone has been killed nearby. We  operate as a tight knit family. If you're not a part of it, you really can't understand what it's like. You tell people you're in the military and they say 'Oh cool!" but they don't really understand. It can make you really lonely."

The young woman next to me chimes in, "it's the same way for single mothers. I can talk to people around me and they think they understand, but they don't know how it feels to be solely responsible for another individual." She plans to make a daycare that also operates as counselling for young mothers.

The woman sitting next to my best friend's sister agrees. She had been through abusive relationships and was endowed with an infinite amount of wisdom. "The worst part about it [looking for a man] is that no one can compare to your son."

Not every conversation we have is heavy, however. We talked about the worst dates we've had (the winner was a mooch who had been to jail--and never explained why he had been there) and who the weirdest crush is (mine is, of course, Anthony Stewart Head). Though their burdens are heavy, they are the sweetest, happiest women I have ever met.

It makes me think, though, if these astonishingly strong women can go through such obstacles and still keep a smile on their face, how can anyone feel hopeless?

Food for thought,

Alaska