My Circle of Women

IWD - Daisy Chain Flower Crown

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” - Melody Beattie

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One of my favorite things about writing on Substack has been the community of other writers and readers that I have been welcomed into, and one of my favorite ways to feel connected is to join others in writing projects for a specific prompt or purpose.

Today, in honor of International Women’s Day 2024, I am joining women writers around the world to create a “daisy chain” of stories dedicated to women. Thank you to

Claire Venus

Lauren Barber

Lyndsay Kaldor

and the others who extended the invitation to this “creative act of friendship, solidarity, reciprocity and connection.” I am grateful to be included!

For my piece of the daisy chain, I want to introduce you to some of the women that have touched my life. I will write more about some of them someday, but let me tell you why I am grateful for them today. (Note to the men: you can likely find yourself in between the lines here too.)

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❤️ My Circle of Women ❤️

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I am grateful for all of the women I have met here on Substack. I love reading and supporting their work, and feeling welcomed and appreciated in return. They have helped me find my way, motivated me to be a better writer, and made Substack feel like home! And an extra special thank you to:

Pamela Leavey

Robin Cangie

Joan Stommen

Linda Hanstra

Deb Sinness

Anna Kerry

Ilona Goanos

Janice Walton

Rebecca Leigh

Kate Atkinson

Susanna Namuli

Jane Thurston

Helen Errington

Amanda Leduc

Camille Brightsmith

Katharine Hill

Julie Gabrielli

JULIA HUBBEL

Kristina Adams Waldorf, MD

Brenda Nicholson

Shannon Entin

Tara Penry

Mika

Karen Cherry

and

Sarah Fay Writers at Work

.

I am grateful for every one of the women who have subscribed to Just a Blink, read my posts, restacked, smiled, laughed, cried, clicked on the heart, left a comment, or pondered what I’ve written. That you value my stories enough to spend more than Just a Blink of your time with me is incredible!

I am grateful for the women of Big Magic Writing Group whose presence on my screen keeps me awake past my bedtime one Thursday evening per month and helps me to not feel alone:

Robin Cangie

Petya K. Grady

Sonya

Natalie Carrasco

Tonya Meeks (She/her/hers)

Kaitlyn T.

Lauren Marie

Alexa Egeck

, Vivian, Juliette, Meghan, and Jenny.

I am grateful for the women of my Flagstaff writing group who welcomed me without question and cheered my stories for a year before I even thought of writing on Substack. I miss seeing you on Monday afternoons, but I’ll be back!

I am grateful for my friend LNH (aka Leia) who agreed to be my lab partner in high-school, gave me a kitten, talked about boys with me, and was maid-of-honor at my wedding. If I’m being honest, she also has cuter toes than me.

I am grateful for my friend LJC who has a laugh that can be picked out of a crowd, rescued a sentimental footstool for me when she retired, attended both of our boys’ weddings, and made sure we saw Bud one last time.

I am grateful for my friend JM who was my first friend to publish a book, didn’t laugh at me when I said maybe I wanted to write after I retired, and never gave up on our friendship when I had health issues even though I didn’t make it to her daughter’s graduation.

I am grateful for my friend CH who was the best supervisor I’ve ever had and set an extraordinary example for me in how she conducted her life during her husband’s illness.

I am grateful for my friend DW who covered my job duties without complaint when my husband was ill, tells me the sweetest stories about her grandkids, and Jazzercises with me on her day off.

I am grateful for my Jazzercise instructors who keep me strong and healthy and don’t laugh at me if I dance to the right when everyone else goes left.

I am grateful for my friend KRY who invited me into her writing group, gifts me writing books, and trusts me with her life stories, even the tough ones.

I am grateful for my friend JS who makes time to meet for breakfast even during tax season and talked truth with me about grandmotherhood when I most needed it.

I am grateful for my friend JB who made time to meet for breakfast less than 12 hours after returning from Australia and kept our older son on the team until they finally won the coveted National LifeSmarts Championship.

I am grateful for my friend MD who used to greet me at work by saying, “Good Morning, Sunshine!” and whose good side I want to stay on since she’s opening up a mobile halotherapy salt cave.

I am grateful for my friends DC, JB, and MH who were some of the hardest working co-workers I’ve ever had, brought their kids treat-or-treating to work, and laugh with me for hours about the Good Times.

I am grateful for my friend/massage therapist GC who offers hot towels during her massages, always has encouraging thoughts on life to share, and cooked for us the Minestrone Soup that has become one of our go-to meals.

I am grateful for my friend/hairstylist SA who went above and beyond during the pandemic, shares stories about her kids, and keeps us looking our best.

I am grateful for our friend/neighbor JW who was the first to welcome us to the neighborhood, looks over our home when we are out of town, and brings over freshly baked berry scones during every big snowstorm.

I am grateful for women who have passed away: my Grandma Helen who I have written about here, my cousin Nettie who loved our boys like grandchildren before she had her own, and my friend Teal who had a heart of gold and a Plan B.

I am grateful for my Aunt/Godmother PS who talks to my mom on the phone every morning and who sewed me a beautiful flag ornament when someone else wouldn’t.

I am grateful for my husband’s sisters and sister-in-law, DS, MR, JS and JKS, who helped raise him in a rough home situation and have lots of childhood stories to tell.

I am grateful for my brother’s wife MDLK who found my parents a safe, clean duplex when they needed to move, is on-call as backup transportation for their doctor’s appointments, and is a faithful supporter of my writing.

I am grateful for my sister TLB (aka The Best) who plans fun family get-togethers (which always include Michigan Rummy), sends yummy treats in the mail, and provides wise counsel when needed, but who will never own the old family spatula.

I am grateful for my niece LVB who appreciates the little things in life like Kraft Mac and Cheese, and whose good side I want to stay on since she’s in law school and I might need her help some day. (P.S. Gerald says hello!)

I am grateful for my daughter-in-laws’ mothers, MS and LM, who raised their girls to be the wonderful women they are and welcomed our sons (and us) into their families.

I am grateful for my younger daughter-in-law MRHM (aka The Dragon) who spent last Christmas without her husband so our younger son could visit us, spent Covid Thanksgiving dinner outside wrapped in a blanket, and still asks me to make beef enchiladas even though I put in way too much salt once.

I am grateful for my older daughter-in-law MLS who does a jigsaw puzzle with me every time we get together, makes the most amazing raspberry pie in the world, and will be giving birth to our first grandchild (a boy) in May!

Finally, but most of all, I am grateful for my mom/best friend KHK (aka GG) who is the best mother in the world despite losing her own mother to leukemia when she was 6, supports me no matter what I do, provides wise insight for my stories before I send them into the world, texts me every waking hour of the day, helps us through all of our medical issues, and is my emotional support blanket daily. And I really want to stay on her good side so she will make potato salad from scratch when I ask. Thanks, Mom, I love you!

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Time passes in the blink of an eye.  Things change, life goes on, but my gratitude for these women will never waiver.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Who are the women in your life you would like to honor and appreciate on International Women’s Day 2024? Reply to my email, tell us in the comments, or write your own IWD daisy chain story! 

Thanks for passing Just a Blink of your time with me!

Respectful comments are welcome. Let’s inspire each other with a little wisdom and a lot of humor, patience, and kindness.