It’s a weekend filled with feelings.

Full hearts,
longing hearts,
struggling hearts,
broken hearts,
grieving hearts,
and grateful ones too.

Hopefully, we can see it,
not as a weekend of haves and haves nots,
but days to look more closely for grace.
To hold grief and gratitude,
equally as each emotion needs to be honored.

We are women of complexity, 
far beyond the hashtags and squares 
that fill our screens.

To be a woman is a beautiful thing.
And it’s a hard thing— 
in a world that seems like it says,
if you’re not a model or a mother 
or a #girlboss with a million followers—
and performing it all perfectly—then,
you’re nothing…
… no.
Let’s not look to false standards,
or insidious internal lies;
worth and dignity come from within,
the gifts of humanity given by God.

Let’s rejoice with one another, 
celebrating good gifts;
like the laughter of little children,
and the warm arms of wisdom;
while respecting our wounds too.
The deep places of long ago,
along with the present spaces that ache.
We can nurture our own hearts,
when we hold tenderly, 
every dream, 
every loss, 
every precious joy.

Dear ladies,
I see you.
As the beautiful woman each of you are;
artist, dreamer, thinker, giver,
daughter, sister, mother, friend.
Let us see one another,
know one another,
love one another
and be,
who we are meant to be.

May we keep growing—our families, and our souls—in grace.

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