When I first found out that the little human growing in my belly was a girl, I had a lot of thoughts. Would she have red hair? What would she want to be when she grows up? Would she give her mama as much hell as I did? But the first thing that popped into my head was a quote by Georgia mama Jessica Krammes Kirkland: "As for my girls, I'll raise them to think they breathe fire."
That's what I want for Wren. I want her to know that she is powerful, no matter what society at large may tell her. She was born into a world where women are paid less than men for the same job... and have been for decades. A world where we are wildly underrepresented in leadership positions. A world where we are forced to consider whether or not to come forward about harassment or assault - not because we haven't been wronged, but because we know we won't be believed. A world where we elected a man as president even after we heard him bragging about groping women without their consent (this is not a political position - it's a straight-up fact). In short, she was born into a world that does not value women.
How do you raise a dragon? There are lots of different ways, of course, but one thing I think is important is teaching her about women who have succeeded even in the face of adversity. Women from all walks of live. Women who were once little girls with a dream. To that end, her bookcase is stuffed to the brim with books about powerful women. She may only be 5 months old, but she has already heard stories of women from all cultures and backgrounds who have made history by breathing their own fire.
To celebrate International Women's Day, all day long on Instagram, I will be sharing stories and quotes from some of the women in her books. You can read more about the books featured and where to get them below. And as a special bonus, I'm offering the print pictured as a free download. Just sign up for our mailing list below and you'll receive an 8.5 x 11 inch PDF for you to print at home. I hope it reminds you and the girls in your life that no matter what society may say, we are valuable. We are powerful. And we can breathe fire.
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Books featured: