We’re all used to seeing strong women portrayed on television. She’s fighting crime. She’s tough. She doesn’t like people to get too close to her.  Softness equals weakness.  That’s good and all for entertainment, but for me I see strength differently.

I have many friends who embody strength to me. I wanted to highlight three of them today.  These three ladies I admired before I even knew the depth of their strength and what they had gone through. I attract rockstars, as I always say. These women share their stories in order to inspire others and give them hope.  They are three of my soul sisters.  They embody resilience and if I listed all the reasons or their whole stories, I’d have a book.  You can find out more about them, but they have dealt with something we all like to avoid the subject let alone know it firsthand.  Grief is something we wish we could skip in life altogether.  They all lost loved ones before I met them.   Losing a child or spouse…end of the world feeling.  Unfathomable, unbearable, the love never dies but the idea that they would not physically be present with us is incomprehensible in my heart.  It’s one of those things I will admit that I fear.  Last year, my husband was having chest pain on his left side.  I was pregnant with our fifth child. As we sat in the hospital, I pleaded with God.  I’d take all the struggles I’d ever had, never ask for anymore success, prosperity, or dreams to come true…I’d never take a moment of him for granted again…I needed him to be okay.  God, do not make me learn this lesson.  It will break me. I’m strong, but don’t do this to me.  There was a surrender point.  Then the doctor told us it was shingles.  I have never felt so grateful, lucky, blessed.  I had been texting one of my friends I’m including below.  I teared up just thinking about Jennifer losing her husband.  It made me even more in awe of ladies like these.

One of the goddesses is Edie Weinstein, a fellow Beliefnet blogger, The Bliss Blog, she is the author of The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming the Ordinary Into The Extraordinary.  I won’t go into her long bio cause we don’t have all day.  She interviewed the Dalai Lama for goodness sake.  She is a counselor which is no surprise.  Those who heal often help those that hurt.  My friend, Jennifer Harp-Douris, owner and jewelry designer of Mermaid Tears jewelry.  When we first met for coffee a few years ago and she told me her story, it hit my heart. She makes custom jewelry that many people get in memory of their loved ones. She has a gift of empathy when dealing with grieving customers.   Sandy Peckinpah, author of How to Survive the Worst that Can Happen, lost her sixteen year old son, her marriage then ended, and just as she was reconnecting with her ex-husband, he passed away.  She is one of the kindest people on the planet and her beauty radiates from within.  These women were instant friends.  I didn’t know their pain when we met and then when they told me about their pasts, I loved and admired them even more.  They make me look within.  You wonder what you would do?  If you lost your husband or child, how do you go on and not just function, but thrive like these ladies do.

Within each of them, they have a few common threads, which are their big hearts, their willingness to always help others, and their spirits.  They are always on their unique path and they know it.  Some people don’t realize they’re just playing a human currently on their spiritual journey.  We are all ultimately on a spiritual journey.  These woman are still not asking “Why me?” years later.  They took their own healing and turned that into wisdom they share.  And I’m lucky enough to know them.  These are strong women, where toughness looks different, it’s the courage to show your vulnerability and the bravery to never give up.  I’m grateful the Universe continues to bring me gems like these ladies.  They are rockstars, my idols, heroes, and the coolest souls ever!  I love you, soul sisters.  These goddesses all have websites if you’d like to know more:

Edie Weinstein: http://www.liveinjoy.org

Jennifer Harp-Douris:  http://mermaidtearsjewelry.net

Sandy Peckinpah:    http://howtosurvivetheworstthatcanhappen.com