You contribute to the revolution
Every time you get good and vulnerable
Every time you voice your emotional needs in your relationships, clearly, assertively
Without apology for being “such a girl”
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you refuse to compete or feel threatened by another woman
Her confidence
Her success
And instead drink in the glow of her brilliance
And maybe even ask “can you help me?”
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you paddle out into a line-up of men
Outnumbered ten to one
Hold your head high
And claim your space
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you shine a light into the cool corners of your personal shadows
And learn to love and understand the creatures that lurk there
For they are equally a part of you
As your light
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you smile at yourself in the mirror
The curve of your belly
The tiger stripes on your hips
And love it for what it is
Not hate it for what it’s not
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you tell your lover exactly what you’d like them to do to you
And how
And how often
And ask for your needs to be met
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you take yourself by the scruff of your neck
And lovingly, but firmly, throw yourself into situations out of your comfort zone
Even if it’s for thirty seconds
Because you know it will grow you
And once out the other side
Life will never be the same
You contribute to the revolution
Every time you rebel against mediocrity
Every time you jump first
Every time you refuse to play small
You contribute to the revolution
When you make space for the idea
That you can be all for disrupting a system that privileges white, straight men
Yet not hate men
Because if we want to rise
We need to rise together
You can contribute to the revolution
Every single second of your life
Every time you choose to grow
And not shrink
Happy international women’s day
We love you so much.
