Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Girl Effect

As a girl growing up in an a strictly male friendly environment  I learned through both spoken and unspoken messages that being me was not a good thing.  That silence and being as invisible as possible was by far the safest  thing for me.  Not that there really was much safety in a family harboring multiple abusers.  Not that my silence improved the abuse and neglect or silenced the many derogatory and negative statements made to and about me within my hearing.

The fact that I am a strong, loving, compassionate woman has little to do with my birth family, and everything to do with my having had people in my life, from outside my family, who took me under their wings.  People who showed me different ways of being in the world and healthier ways to interact with others;  who nurtured me, encouraged me, believed in my worth.
 
From a neighbor woman inviting me over to read books, to family friends who ‘adopted’ me on the weekends and over holidays, to my best friend’s mother who taught me how to deal with the changing body and emotions of an adolescent, to my mother’s friend who took me out occasionally for lunch and ‘girl talk’,  to the librarian who guided my reading choices and encouraged my love of books,  I was lucky and blessed to have Angels in my life. 

    
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I truly realized the vastness of the gifts that each of them gave me.   Things that seem simple, but that made it possible for me to grow into a woman capable of transforming and transcending the anger and pain; into a mother capable of raising my family in more positive, loving ways.

We are all pebbles in the pond, never truly knowing where the ripples lead.   Yet every action we take, no matter how small, ripples out into the universe and into other people’s lives.  The word of encouragement that you give may be a lifeline; the action that you take may allow hope and courage to shine within someone elses life. 
 
Never think that you can’t make a difference, or that making a difference calls for more resources than you have.   We all have gifts to offer and what seems small or inconsequential to us may be the miracle that allows another young woman to survive and flourish and gift the world with her presence.

Be the pebble in the pond for the girls around you.  And for those who share this world with us, in places and countries physically distant from us, please check out the wonderful work of The Girl Effect and learn how you could be the change for them as well.  If you have a blog, please consider joining with me and participating in the 2011 Girl Effect Blogging Campaign




15 comments:

  1. just one Act of Random Kindness will change the world...ARK this came to ring true while watching a dvd. Isnt it chilling how certain words from anywhere, ring loud in our minds at times??

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  2. beautiful Cynthia, I resonate with this so much and I believe it is an essential part of the healing process to look at what we did have, and the people who gave us what we needed at the time. I will be writing a post about this too and you have inspired me to do so. I am so grateful you had those amazing angels on earth. It just fills me with so much joy to hear that little Cynthia had someone, a bunch of someones :)

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  3. Great post! And a great campaign!
    Living in a small and poor post-communistic country I do, what I can to help my daughter and her friends to become aware of their beauty, intelligence and potential

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  4. I've been a fan of the Girl Effect for some time now and my latest motto is... "be a ripple" Thanks for sharing!

    Lorrie

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  5. Oh this is so precious.... so precious...yes, we be pebbles in the pond!

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  6. Cynthia, I am so glad i came over to see your blog. This post is beautiful and 'reaching' for all of us. I shall ensure that I will always be an angel to all girls that come into my life. I am just getting used to having 'little girls'in my life with my grandaughters and my friends teen daughters .... i find it wonderful as although i came from a family of two of each sex. I went on to have just two boys now grown men of course, and my siblings were the same so this next generation is something i cherish.
    hugs and thanks for a lovely post
    June x

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  7. This is such thought provoking writing Cynthia. It really touches me and is a great way to start off a new week! thanks for sharing

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  8. Debi, random acts of kindness truly can change the world - and our experience of it!

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  9. Stephanie, I feel so honored to know that my writing has inspired you! I truly believe that the Angels in my life helped to keep me alive - with my heart and soul intact. Not undamaged, but undefeated...

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  10. Rita, I truly admire you for so many things - and your ability to inspire others is one of them. Your daughter and her friends are blessed to have you in their lives!

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  11. Lorrie, you made me laugh! 'Be a ripple' is a wonderful motto to have :)

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  12. Carol, that one simple word struck so many chords in my heart! Precious...what each of us are; what each of us deserves to be acknowledged as. I'm so glad to be a part of your pond!

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  13. June, as always, I'm glad to see you here! The girls in your life are so lucky to have you. We all need Angels!

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  14. Thank you so much Lori and Melony :)

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Thank you for leaving your comments; I read and appreciate them all! Cynthia