Validation

I told you all about the Women's Conference that was happening today.  I was very sad that I wasn't there,  I had some time this morning and went online to hear what was going on.  It was streamed in real time so I got to see it while it was happening.  Warren Buffet and Arnold Schwarzenegger were on when I listened in the morning.  They spoke of how this is amazing time for women and how we should embrace the power we have because obviously back when Warren Buffet was growing up women had none.  Chris Matthews was in the mix too and it was incredible to listen to him as he spoke of his wife.  He said that nothing would get done in his home if it wasn't for his wife, that essentially he does nothing and she does everything and he admires her so very much.   But the even funnier thing was when he said that when he was a kid, he knew his father had no power in the home.  He said they would not have had their home at the shore, that new car, or nice clothing if it wasn't for her.  I laughed.  Many of us could say that was the same in our homes.  I always knew who was boss in my house and I can tell you it wasn't my father.  He thought he was.  Funny how things don't change.  My husband would tell you he is the boss, but we all know better than that.

When Maria Shriver took the podium, I had just returned home from picking my daughter up from school.  I was so excited that I made it back in time to see her, so I paused my computer and put my baby down for a nap and my older daughter went to have a snack and color.  I came back to my computer, unpaused and listened in amazement.  Maria as I have said before is one woman I look up to.  Whenever she speaks she motivates me.  She makes you feel like you can do anything.  One speech she made was about giving  young daughters confidence at an early age.  (I struggle with this all the time because I know how hard life is going to be for them as women.   They are going to have weed through bad men to get to the good one, they are going to have weather many storms with their girlfriends before they find true friendships.  I don't want them to have to go through what I have had to with friends over the last few years.  I want them to find happiness early on and never doubt their self worth.   But the reality is, it won't happen. )  Sorry, I am babbling, so anyway, in her speech a while back she said she always was pretty confident because her dad told her that no matter what, when she walked into a room, people were lucky to have her there.   Her parents always made her feel like she incredible, without making her too confident.   I wonder if I will ever be able to achieve this.  

Now getting to her speech today.  She validated so many of my feelings-  She spoke of fear --how are all so scared to be who we are for fear that someone make not like us.  Or fear that we may not be accepted into the "it" group.   Who cares, she says......be who you are and be confident and be proud.  It made me realize so many things about the journey I am on right now.  I don't care anymore if the "it" crowd thinks I am too boring to hang with them.  I know I am doing right by myself and my family.  She also told a story of how her mother is 87 and sick.  She lives in DC.  Far away from Maria in LA.  So she has to fly back and forth to see her all the time.  One day when she was leaving, she brought her mother back to her bed and tucked her in....she looked at her for a minute and decided to climb in bed with her.   As her mother stared forward (Maria had never done anything like this before...her mother is a rather tough woman), she told Maria, "all I do is wait, and wait, and wait for you to come back.  You come for a short time and you leave again, and all I do is wait."  She realized at that moment that her relationship with her mother was changing...This woman that once took care of her, now needed her to do the same.  It was amazing to me...because my own mother is not touchy feely either and in the back of my mind I always wonder how she feels ..but just through that speech, I think I know now. 

Finally, I received an email today from a friend from college.  She is going through a big rough patch in her life.  Her email moved me basically to tears.  I don't think she could have ever imagined how that email helped me realize many things about friends and myself and I thank her.  I hope while she is on this roller coaster for the next few months, she knows she always has a friend in me.....until later.....