As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, it seemed only fitting that the Female First team should share something about the women in our lives who have inspired and empowered us to be the people we are today.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Daniel Falconer, Entertainment Editor:
'When I think of inspirational women, I’m spoilt for choice. My family is made up of some of the most inspiring women I know. It’s cliché to say, I realise that, but I truly believe that they have helped shape me to be the person I am today. They’ve faced adversity, health struggles, financial woes and more, coming out of each of those situations with a smile on their faces and the needs and wants of others consistently being put ahead of their own. They have taught me to make the most of life in every situation. For that, I am always thankful.
It also just so happens that my two closest friends are female. What can I say? I love to surround myself with strong women. They always push me to strive for excellence, ensuring I leave my comfort zone in moments of self-destructive behaviour. If I feel unworthy, they lift me up. When I’m in distress, they know how to bring me back down to Earth. I hope I do the same for them.
In the words of Beyoncé, who run the world? Girls.
Happy International Women’s Day.'
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Holly Mosley, Features Writer:
'The first person I want to talk about is, of course, my mother. My best friend and someone I can rely on not to judge me, berate me or abandon me in my time of need. I can tell her about anything, and she will always be on my side. I've not always been the easiest person to be around; my endless mental health problems have caused her more stress and anxiety than I could possibly imagine.
Yet she has ridden the waves with me and continues to do so in my adulthood. She has always worked hard to provide for me and my brother, and the force of her larger-than-life personality has molded me into an assertive and confident individual.
My mother is, and always will be, the most important female to me, but I cannot talk about the inspirational women in my life without talking about one of my dearest friends (let's call her Penelope).
In the recent past, Penelope was forced to rebuild her life from the ground up after a rather painful end to along relationship. This was a life she had carefully curated, from being a broke single mother of a disabled daughter when she was very young, to being a mother of two with an excellent career.
A single mother again, she has risen like a phoenix. She left the house she adored for one that needed a lot of work. And despite a delicate financial situation she left a job that was bringing her down in pursuit of something she really loves. She balances building a home, motherhood, a relationship with someone new, a burgeoning career and the pain of having an ailing father with amazing strength, grace and endless positivity.
The best thing about her is her passion for others. She will always go out of her way to help those who need her. She has been there for me through many difficult times, even when she had her own problems to deal with, and even though I don't speak to her everyday I know that she would drop everything in a heartbeat to help me. Her passion for the environment is one of the most admirable things about her; she makes the people around her want to be better. Healthier. Savvier. Kinder. And that's a remarkable gift.'
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Lucy Walton Lange, Editor:
'When I hear the words ‘inspirational and empowering women’, there is no one who fits this description in my own life more than my mam.
She has carved an incredibly successful career for herself in the NHS, been a loving wife to my father for nearly 40 years, a loyal friend to colleagues and people in her personal life and the best mother a girl could ask for.
She is always there to set a good example, to help me look at other perspectives when my own is clouded and she is generous beyond words with her time and energy to not only me but everyone around her.
She is my mother but she is also my friend and I just hope that my own daughter will feel the same about me when she is my age.
Inspiration and empowerment comes in many forms, but for me- it's first and foremost about being kind. Paying it forward in the hope that others will do the same. My mam is the epitome of kindness and I know that it has gone a long way over the years.
So today, I raise a glass to the woman who remains stong when life is tough, who will lend a listening ear at the end of a long, hard day and who will always come to my rescue if I ask her to.
Love you mam, xxx'
Happy International Women’s Day to all the inspirational and empowering women in your own lives.
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