"Strong women are great, but we're greater when we're together."
Whether African-American, Red, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, or thicker than three snickers, you are a woman, and because you are a woman, you have strength. As women, we all fall under the same umbrella, but why are we so divided? And you know what's sad? We are the main ones to divide ourselves. We don't support one another, we are petty amongst each other, and we define one's worth by the color of their skin. Oh you're light skin so you have good hair, every guy is sliding in your dms, and you're conceited right? And since you're dark skin, you are a Nubian goddess, have an attitude, and may be "cute for a dark skin girl?" WRONG. This is colorism at its finest, and it doesn't just occur in the black community. We have to stop allowing the past and certain circumstances to ultimately define the future. Stomp on your ego and pride and be willing to lend a helping hand sometime. If you see a woman struggling with a situation you just overcame, then encourage her. Give her some hope that she will overcome too. We have to start realizing that God sends us through tests and gives us gifts from heaven to help others, not just ourselves. Also, we have to be willing to accept help. I'm specifically referring to the black women with this. Dr. P. Gould entitled his article, "The New Face of Depression: The "Strong" Black Women. He said, "Strong Black women are "supposed" to 1.) Have their own 2.) not depend on anyone else for anything 3.) be able to do without showing weakness. These stigmas have led to many cases of depression and mental disorders that go untreated. We can't allow history and present day societal norms to continue to deepen these unpleasant stereotypes. It is okay to be vulnerable. You a woman of strength, but even the strongest soldiers get sick and tired sometimes. Let's be real. The world needs us. Statistics show that one primary motive that men have in mate selection is the possibility of reproduction. Each month a woman's body sheds the lining of her uterus and menstrual blood flows from the uterus through a small opening in the cervix and passes out of the body through the vagina. We all know this pain that none of us technically asked for, but it's a process we have to go through in order to reproduce. So if you feel like crying, then cry. If you want to scream, scream loud. We have that right; however, one thing we absolutely have to start doing more is supporting one another under this same umbrella. Don't just support those closest to you. Show love and respect for all women, because we all trying to make it somewhere. Let go of the grudges. Reconnect with those old best friends from High School. Randomly check in on people to see how they are doing. We have to grow together. We have to wake up and see the bigger picture. One quote I ran across the other day said, "Girls compete with each other. Women empower women!" So let's come together! Let’s serve. Let’s lead. Let’s empower each other. For when women truly come together as one unified body, we are u n s t o p p a b l e.