With this being women’s month and all my articles having a large focus of the women in my life I wanted to dedicate a paragraph to each one of you specifically who mean so much to me. No names will be mentioned but you will know who you are by the words I pen and the situations we have been in as well as what you have taught me and how I have learnt and grown through you and how you have reached and inspired me.
In no particular order but as your names pop into my head and my soul is filled with love for you, my auto-pilot will kick in and I will write theses lines for you, they are insufficient in comparison as a dedication but they are here and we will unfold thus:
The consummate Professional
Yes that’s what they called her, she kicked figurative doors down, broke stereotypes battled in boardrooms, cleaned offices (as a CEO) made coffee and walked on stages to make speeches to VIP’s, appeared in magazines whistled in offices and shocked her team when she rapped Tupac and Snoop dog. This girl is not just a professional “devil wears prada” type of girl, no she is human, and she is my friend. I watched her swallow words, her pride, her sunshine, her fights so much that it made her choke. I watched her almost lose her life and come back out fighting, I watched her compromise on everything, everything except her values: the one I will always stand by this girl is loyal exemplifies integrity and when you get to know her will see GOD in her. She is a consummate human; she gives silently and lives out loud unapologetically – She is also incredibly humble, and she keeps checking on me just when I need it! I love you 15 yrs a slave!
Sunshine in a human
This one tells me “Girl its hot” and then rocks up to my house with her swimsuit and chills in my pool. she comes over and greets and hugs my family and spends quality time with them before she gets on my bed with me and we chill and watch movies, or we do carpool karaoke to one song until we are sick of it. She genuinely is happy for her people, she has so much empathy and joy, she has also suffered losses and gains. She is just sunshine. I have learnt gratitude from her and Joy and how to share pasta at a work lunch, she is my McDonalds 2 places at once and my Netflix buddy, I don’t see her enough but she has so much love in her that I explode when I do. I love you Pooh and Tigger!
Baker, Baker, Bakers women
I call this one with no notice and say bake me 24 cupcakes please for TCL and she does and she doesn’t flinch, I love her with a deep love, she is quiet but people mistake that introvert for a push over but she has a silent power about her that can’t be beaten. She started and pivoted her business while raising 3 amazing children who I consider my little personal friends (for real I hang out with her kids), a wife and friend to her own Wonder man. I see her lead children and sing with them and humbly go where God leads her, I have seen her persecuted and rise I take her inner strength from her and know that she is the icing on my cake. I love you my friend – we are owed tea
Meghaeverything
She is family and I would CHOOSE her. I believe I did, in an existence before this one, I think we sat together and laughed and spoke and said, let’s do it together, we share interests but I remember one incident where I was sitting alone and she sat next to me and let my cry and showed so much empathy and love towards me. I have learned that from her. I can and never will be able to read as much as her and she keeps asking me where I am in my books so we can talk about it, but I just can’t keep up. Her hobbies and interests are secretly mine and her energy and passion are all I want to be around. I love you my family, my mini me by one degree and I am proud of you.
Mamma bear
She lives so far from me but she has a piece of my heart that I cannot explain, her daughter and young family are brave and playful and feeling and she tries so hard as a mom, I can see her daughter growing and flourishing and at 1y/o she is a feisty joyful little thing. Her mom is my redhead special girl I love her so much, she has stories to tell if you just listen, that’s all she wants, she has taught me the power of family and the power of love and pride in your children. I love you from afar you are down under and I will always have your higher interests at heart.
My Editor in Chief
I have started writing short quotes that pop in my head called “Kiminisms” as if I fancy myself a philosopher, some are so random and silly and others are deep man real deep, I send them to my editor as I call her and she tells me what she thinks and I take it as signed off once she says go for it. She is family too. Now this one is special to me because she has a 9 month old baby who she adores and her husband is a man I would want to pattern husbands to, she teaches and has a degree and is the sister of one of the above. I love her soul her passion for life, she lets me vent too and crash on her couch while we watch Disney (only because she exhausts me with a whirlwind of a food tour in her town) I miss having her here, she is a glue in our family and loves wholeheartedly. I have learned love and soul from her I love you, you curly topped brunette who lets me take photos of the story of your life.
Sisters
They married the men in my family, theyve known me since I was a little girl, watched me make horrible choices, let me be me, I frustrated them I cried to them, they held me when we watched horrific things happen, They have saved my life along with their spouses. They have picked me up from the side of the road when I was kicked out of a car they let me call them and cry, they send me pics of recipes, when in pain they still ask how I am, one takes care of her family while she can barely walk but does it with a smile and serves, the other looks after her mother and family while she is sometimes also in pain, they are my heroes. They have seen me through divorce, through abusive relationships through my financial messes and all the potholes of my life. I LOVE YOU my sisters
The Billionaire in the making
There is literally no stopping this tycoon on the go- she sends me messages at 5.00am lists of things she needs from me from a work perspective, then from another phone, she is telling me she loves me, we vent together, we serve together we laugh way too much together and she keeps me accountable in spiritual and work life, she says we were meant to be here at this time together, she has my back she is a dynamite little Louis Vuitton wearing, strutting in and out of meetings with a heart of gold. I love you my Gem and my Billi buddy. From eternity to eternity
The cat lady
I met her when I was 7 years old she was 3 we climbed trees together, partied together, grew up together and for some reason I disappeared from her life, and, would you believe she googled me and found me? May I never leave her side again. She collects cats and love and is the holder of one of my biggest stories. I trust her with my life and is my cheerleader she loves me with a love that I cannot even fathom. I love you Rinsk you have taught me to trust again and to forgive, and you are an amazing mamma and human and I don’t know what would become of me without you.
My true North
I go to her for food and a chat, when I do her sons and huge dogs hug me. Her husband is my mentor and friend and a man I respect thoroughly, but there is something deep about her, she sees people in their souls, she looks at all angles of situations and keeps our group honest, she is funny and clear and her heart is as pure as the driven snow, she also happens to be exquisitely beautiful. She reminds me what God wants from me, she sits next to me on game drives and giggles with me, we have the funniest inside jokes but I am yet to feel so safe and so close to God than when I am with her. She would be embarrassed to read this because she is incredibly humble. we tease her and use her as the boss of our group, and she has this look where she pretends to judge us. But she exudes pure unadulterated love and morality I love you my True North My J*miss
Dr Dolittle
She collects and fosters animals. This single mom of 2 amazing girls is new in my life but her heart is something to wonder at, her laugh is and her coffee addiction is worrying but I have a place in my heart for her, for her love of her kids and infectious laugh and her friends and for her humility and her humour, oh her humour. She is dangerously funny. I never spell her name right and she does not seem to mind. She is a caring human and I am glad I know her. I have learned to love cats more through her but not BIRDS. I love you SKY, and I love your big huge heart.
Special mentions
I could go on, but I will write sentences now for notable mentions this by no means that I love any of you less.
· Mentor from Discovery – Mrs S. who once told me never to change who I am even when I bugged her daily about the people in my team
· Y2k – my buddy and long time friend oh how we laughed. I miss you
· Dragon – who inspires me through marketing and taught me to speak my truth
· VA – my daily bread and soul of gold
· Kinesiologist and hammock friend – teach me to be calm and “its ok”
· Jedi- the coach with humanity who walks her talk
· Body Stress Release – who is so authentic and teaches me humility
· The Portuguese biker – a giver and a power positive woman
· The travel agent – who laughs so infectiously
· The artist – who is trapped in an Alice in Wonderland story
· The PA – who gives me advice about things that must drain her
· The performer – who is a businesswoman and partner who has found her way into my soul
· The EA – you keep my day going, you keep me sane I love you VEE
· The hiker – thank you for coming back into my life through a dream and taking me 12ks, see you next month
· The president – thank you for never giving up on me I will just ask you
· Blood – you know, you just know
· Daughter – your article is next week
To all the women in my life, written here or not, thank you, I see you, I love you.