My mother always told me that as women, we have high expectations to uphold in this world, that we must show kindness and strength with everything. I have grown up surrounded by a hardworking mom and a strong-willed older sister. At 24 years old, she is a special education teacher and a mother, but she has come a long way from high school. She inspires me because she has dealt with many issues in her life and has used them to make her a better person.
Throughout high school my sister experienced being bullied and unhealthy relationships.
Girls would call her names every day, and she would have to sit alone and act like that didn’t bother her. As a teenager living through low self-esteem and other rough times like becoming a teen mom at the age of 16, it all must’ve been hard to deal with. She took these moments during her teenage years to become a strong women because of her strength while she experienced hard times in high school who knows her worth no matter what anyone else says.
She has shown me exactly who I need to be.
My freshman year, I struggled with having good friends to support me, and I went through a lot of discouragement, but my sister taught me that I need to be strong and smart about who I surround myself with because they will make me who I am.
My mother has shown me how important it is for women to care for each other. Throughout my childhood, she has always put her family before anything else. Just little things over time she has shown me that part of her character. For instance, we would be in the grocery store, and she would pay for the family behind her or listen to others who are in need to be heard.
Also, women have changed the world on a broader scale. Take Oprah for example; she built her image up to become a billionaire media giant from The Oprah Winfrey Show,where she interviewed hundreds of people, sharing  stories that inspired many viewers around the world.In 2005, Business Week named her the greatest black philanthropist in American history. She dedicates her life to doing charity work and to her foundation Family for Better Lives.
If all of the women’s achievements weren’t appreciated in the world,  people would overlook many of the great things that have happened and all of the many kind actions shared by a lot of women in our lives today.
We as a society don’t always do a good job at acknowledging the important women in our lives.
I am appreciative of my mother because she taught me that although there are so many negative people on this earth that there needs to be more of a positive person and outshine those who aren’t. She has achieved her own success in life. I don’t  want to forget about the men in our lives, but women aren’t nearly as appreciated as our fathers, uncles and grandpas.
Take time to notice how far they have come in life and what they have done to get there. Going back all the way to 1920 when women first gained the right to vote, they fought to get the same equal rights as men and even before the 1920s women have pushed to have their own rights. The 19th amendment was a huge landmark for women’s history.
Our ancestors fought to get where they are now,and it is important to take time to thank our moms, sister, aunts, grandmas and friends who have impacted our lives.