National Women's Day

    I don't need a day to talk about women I admire. I need a month, a year, a lifetime. Whether they are fictional or real it would take me more than a single post to log in all the women I admire as there are countless women out there whom I admire for their strength, spirit, and ability to uplift one another at all times. First, I want to talk about all of the fictional women simply because they give a performance of what we aspire to be or something we wish could be real.

Dorothy Gale

I fell in love with The Wizard of Oz at a very young age, I mean who didn't? But mostly,  I loved Dorothy and her absolute determination to get back home. She was completely terrified of the witch, but she still fought back. She was afraid of the Wizard (at first) but she still spoke her mind. Remember she is supposed to be TEN not nineteen (as Judy was in the film). She was a little girl. I always saw it that way. She's a little girl, like me, lost, far from home and a witch was chasing her. She was afraid, but she still took care of herself. Let's hear it for Dorothy!

Pippi Longstocking

Pippi Longstocking was the coolest of the cool. She lived by herself! She had a pet monkey and a horse! Let's not forget that she was super strong. She didn't abuse these gifts. She was smart, funny, and took great care of all her friends furry and human alike. If anyone tried to hurt them; well heaven help them. I always wanted to be her!

Jo Polniaczek

Jo Polniaczek (Pol-nee-check) was introduced on The Facts of Life.  She literally rolled on scene on a motorcycle. She was not a girlie girl. She was tough, she rode a bike, didn't care about make up, and could punch a boy in the face. She was super smart and could match words with Blair Warner, the popular queen B of the school, without breaking a sweat. She had flaws. She had a lot of them. She stole, she used fake IDs, but she grew and learned from the mistakes of her past. She kept the motorcycle, and her tough girl attitude. No one messed with her.

Julia Sugarbaker

Julia Sugarbaker of Designing Women, was the sassiest, classiest powerhouse of her time and I loved it when she would just steam roll people with her words. I simply dreamed of being able to take people down the way she did.  Here is a link to 13 of her best takedowns! Enjoy.

Belle

I grew up between all the Princesses. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella had already happened. The gap between princesses was pretty big. I was not a wide eyed little girl anymore. I was a young woman, but Belle spoke to me. She was smart, independent, and most of all she had a love of books. What's not to like about a girl like this? I wanted to be her friend. And did you see the library she got? Hello! That's a dream come true. She's still reading in there. She was also non traditional. She wasn't blonde, she didn't have lips like the red rose, or skin that was white and fair (Think Snow White) she was plain, but in reality she is not. She is quite beautiful. I remember the first time seeing the movie as she appeared on screen in the yellow dress there were audible gasps in the theater. Yep. Pretty cool for a cartoon. You go, Belle.

Wonder Woman

Of course I'm going to talk about Wonder Woman! Now I grew up on Lynda Carter as Woman. She was and remains my Wonder Woman. She was classy, smart, gentle and well she's beautiful. Lynda Carter is stunning. And Wonder Woman is an Amazon! Who doesn't want to be her!? I wanted to be her. When Gal Gadot was cast, I had my doubts, but they were quickly obliterated by her remarkable portrayal of the goddess.  She brings a new tenderness alongside the ability to kick ass in a way that will take your breath away. She brings my inner child to the surface wanting to be WW all over again. 

While all of these characters, are remarkable, funny, strong and independent. They lack something. They are not real. I have real women in my life who constantly inspire me. It would be a book and not a simple blog post about each and everyone of them. 

For all the women who have cried, fought, struggled, acted tough when they thought they would shatter, this is for you. You are all beautiful, smart, lovely and most of all strong. The strongest people I know, and hope to know. You make the world wonderful because you are in it. Each one of us is a super hero!