International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day--a time to celebrate women's achievements and to honor the women in our lives.

I found a particularly touching IWD post by Gisele Bundchen, called A gift from life. She wrote:

I grew up witnessing my mother always trying her best at doing all she could for the 6 of us girls. My mom devoted her entire life to her family and did it with such grace. She couldn’t have been more of a loving and caring mother. She is my hero. She is the reason why I believe that a woman is the core of a family… I can only hope to be for my kids what she will and always be for us… Our Rock.

Being committed to building a family, becoming a mother and raising a child with love and awareness is for me, the single biggest responsibility a woman could have. Giving birth was the most intense and life-changing experience of my life. I am blessed to have been able to have a home birth surrounded by love, where I was able to feel safe. It was a powerful experience. I never felt so vulnerable but so strong at the same time. It was amazing to experience my body become free to do what it was made to do by allowing my mind and my body to let go and be free to experience the changes taking place within… I was just there… focusing on my breathing and relaxing the best that I could… so present, to witness the biggest miracle in my life happen before my very own eyes. To give life to another being, what a gift!

Read the rest here. (And I'm loving Gisele's blog--it combines mothering, conscious living, and environmental stewardship.)