March 8 marks International Women’s Day. Truth is everyday there are women actively challenging the status quo and doing their part to close in on gender parity. I acknowledge I wouldn’t be half I woman I am without the influence of these incredible women who I am blessed to call family. Today, I honour you.
My Ma
If you followed serasituations debut mini series “My Siblings”, you already know. My Ma is a queen. She is the kind of woman that would give away her last $20 just to see others make their ends meet whilst she struggled until her next pay cheque. Her heart is as pure as they come.
What she has continually instilled in me is it is better to give than receive. I haven’t always nailed it cause you know sometimes I get #selfish but it has shaped how I view servanthood and selflessness.
My sister
My sister is my rock. Our relationship isn’t perfect but it’s the kind that knows no limit or boundary. Our love for each other isn’t decorated in roses or spending all our spare time together. Sometimes harsh words are thrown around and saying sorry takes longer than usual but it’s us.
She gives it to me raw and real. It’s a trait I first hated but have grown to sometimes crave.
My Bubu
Oh this lady. You will hear her before you see her (sounds like me hey?). Growing up her and I spent a lot of time together. She is like the angry old woman on your street. You never know whether she is going to give you some cookies she baked earlier that day or an undeserving dagger.
Despite her attitude she has taught me how to make a bed, scrub the bath tub with steel wool + Ajax and the importance of having Saturday breakfast together as a family. I used to tell her “If you die, I am going to die too”, and just the thought of ever having to do life without her gives me teary eyes. That describes the bond we share.
Arieta Rika
Funnily enough we went to the same primary school. She was in year 6 when I started kindergarten. In 2014 our paths crossed again and I’ve never let go since.
Between the age of 18 and 20 I was a loose unit. Thank God I had Arieta because everytime I came to her as a broken mess she would hug me, encourage me and gave me the impression that “judgement doesn’t exist here”.
My involvement with her as a teen definitely changed the trajectory of my life. That’s a big call to make but it’s the absolute truth. Through the exciting and mundane moments of life she is either apart of what I am doing or my biggest cheerleader.
Vera Koroi
Have you watched Friday? My cousin Vera would be Ice Cube – calm, cool and collected and I’d be Smokey. Always up to some kind of no good and a bad influence. This is 100% us.
What I admire about Vera is her gentle spirit, courage in the face of adversity and how she shows up for people in every season of life, not just when it’s convenient for her. She is everything I am not and always at arms reach in time of need and plenty. You are the ying to my yang dawwwwl.
Sydney Uni Women’s Rugby Club
When I’m old and wrinkled I think one of the proudest moments I’ll be able to share with my grandbabies is the fact I got to play my rugby with this club.
The array of women you see displayed below represent different journeys in life and have impacted me in some kind of way. I love, love, love being a lioness.
I am grateful to be surrounded by these women daily. The heroes in my life don’t wear capes. They wear scrubs and rugby jerseys. I am optimistic about the world I will continually grow up in and hopefully one day bring my daughters into.
Blessings and love,
serasituations 