Strong Women

It was Virginia Woolf's birthday the other day.

I didn't really have an opinion about her before taking a seminar on her during college. Then I decided that I really liked her. I liked the Dreadnought Hoax that she played with Duncan Grant, Guy Ridley, and Anthony Buxton in which they fooled everyone by pretending to be Ethiopian Royalty. She was sexual, sad, and intelligent. I liked her nuance and style in writing and living.

I took that class with my pal tinytinbird, and for some reason, Virginia Woolf always makes me think of that little bird's mom. Not the depression or lesbian side of Woolf, but that side of her full of spunk and independence.

Throughout college, my friend's mom would send poems and words about being confident women. One poem by Martin Edmunds has this great image, "I am sweet tea, I am these red seeds on a white plate..."

She once sent an excerpt from Sylvia Plath's journal about being lonely amongst boring and fake people while she was away at school. Before I met my great Colby friends, this felt too familiar as I would often go to parties just to fight loneliness. I should have followed Ms. Plath's lead as she wrote, "No, I won't try to escape myself by losing myself in artificial chatter: 'Did you have a nice vacation?' 'Oh yes, and you?' I'll stay here and try to pin that loneliness down." I still have that photocopied page in a box next to my bed.

This mom is a writer and an inspiration. She told us that we were strong and beautiful women who should be self-assured, especially with men. I work to remember that.

Here is a quote from Mrs. Dalloway that I love. It reminds me of the times after having a great cry... those times when I've had those low and wide breaths. I can take care of myself. It feels meditative.

“So on a summer’s day waves collect, overbalance, and fall; collect and fall; and the whole world seems to be saying ‘that is all’ more and more ponderously, until even the heart in the body which lies in the sun on the beach says too, That is all. Fear no more, says the heart. Fear no more, says the heart, committing its burden to some sea, which sighs collectively for all sorrows, and renews, begins, collects, lets fall.”