The Girl in the Pearl Necklace

Last month I was in New York City and I found myself in a jewelry shop in Little China. I've been wanting a string of pearls ever since I lost the string my son Sammy gave me. The shop I was in had native salt water pearls. I've never had anything but cultured or fresh water pearls. I bought a small string of heavy uneven pearls. Several of the pearls were misshaped. I fell in love with the strand because of its imperfections. As a strand, the necklace is not noticeably malformed. It works...it works well enough for my youngest daughter to want to borrow it.

Today is the International Day of the Girl. Its a day to celebrate #GirlHero and #GirlPossible and #OurGirlsMatter. Its a day to turn the phrase "like a girl" from something negative into something positive.

I have two girls. In a household of seven children, those two girls are as precious and rare as a pearl in the mouth of an oyster.

Raising my precious daughters has opened my eyes.

We were supposed to be making the world a better place for our daughters. We were supposed to have fought and won for their right to be what they wanted and compete as equals. I wonder sometimes if we as women still hold ourselves back. The technical conference I attended in New York (monolithic NAND memory recovery) was attended by forty or fifty forensic professionals. I was one of two women in attendance.

My youngest daughter (the one in the pearl necklace) was selected to be in the Washington County School District Honor Jazz Band. Out of 20 students, 4 were girls.

My oldest daughter is in digital film. On her film shoot this weekend, she was the only girl on the crew (she's the one taking this behind-the-scenes photo). This is typical for her.

I am proud of my girls. I know they are fighting an uphill battle...fighting to be taken seriously...fighting shyness....fighting isolation....fighting cultural stereotypes.

And I am grateful. I am grateful they continue the fight. I am grateful they are allowed to fight. I am grateful that they love what they do and that they choose to dance through life! #GirlHeros