This One's For All the Ladies
In my life, I have encountered an innumerable amount of women.
I have seen light and love shine in the eyes of women I do not even know. They have passed by me with an aura of confidence and, sometimes, an aura that exhibits the sorrow of inequity.
I live my life with the wish that one day I may become even faintly as strong as the women who do not have the luxuries I possess, yet live with vibrancy and hope.
There is a strong woman in every corner of the world. They flood this Earth with life and resilience. And I have had the honor to let many into my life.
This article is for the women of Free to Dream, the ones that read and learn with us, who strive to cultivate an environment of positivity and social justice. You are so important. You are a queen in every single sense of the world.
Thank you for being authentic with Free to Dream and for living your lives with the mystique of female empowerment. Our audience is everything to us and we only hope to touch your lives with the same inspiration you give us.
To the women on the team at Free to Dream: you are all so incredible, I could not even begin to describe the amount of utter disbelief I have when I see you all doing amazing things. Thank you to Megan for this opportunity and for being a woman of responsibility and resilience. Your vision is absolutely amazing and I am so proud of how far it has come.
And, to my girls on this blog: if there is one thing you take away from this experience, I hope that it is that you understand your abilities, that you cultivate your creativity, and that you know your beauty. You all inspire me to become the best version of myself and I am in awe of the women that you are. You've given me a little piece of you that I believe the world deserves to see and you radiate the qualities of a confident, strong woman that I admire so much. I want you all to know how loved you are and the incredible talent that I see in you. You are so lovely and I cannot wait to continue this incredible journey with you.
And to all the women...and I mean ALL THE WOMEN: you walk everyday with the rich history of the feminine struggle on your backs; you carry that weight with your heads held so high. There is still work to be done all over the world, but I have seen so many women stronger than I could ever have fathomed, willing and ready to create a change.
"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water"
- Eleanor Roosevelt
About the Author:
Justine Bautista is a student at Chapman University. She is a double major in Psychology and Integrated Educational Studies and plans to pursue a career in Developmental Research. Justine is a writer for Free to Dream Magazine and also serves as manager/editor for their blog. Outside of Free to Dream, she works as an SBA for Kaplan Test Prep and helps students in planning their pursuit of a graduate degree. She also works with social media brands and small businesses (ex. Pacific Swimwear and Impact Juice Bar). Justine is an avid neuroscience and coffee enthusiast. She loves books, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and dancing around while singing her favorite song, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron and Wine :)
insta: @esor.j
twitter: @nochilljustine
