Moments of Light is about reflecting on special moments, today, on International Women's Day, I am writing a letter to my daughter Pomme.

Dear Pomme,

You are free, happy and fierce. With great strides, you step straight ahead towards your goal.

No one to put a stumbling block in your way.
I love you.
I love your open-mindedness and your mischievous snout.
Of your vulnerability, if you feel confident enough to show it to me.
Inside that brave warrior lives a soft and sweet girl, who loves unicorns, rainbows, glitter and magic.  

For you, I'm clearing the path so you can always be this way. 

Because in our world, power is in the hands of men.
That was the most normal thing in the world for me, until I had you and Sep.
I see how similar you are to each other.
And how important that equality is, even outside the familiar walls of our family.
Especially for you, Pommetje, as a girl. 

In my world, you were taught to find a man to take care of you and start a family.
The man works full time.
The wife may also work, but is responsible for making sure things run smoothly at home. About half of Dutch women, are now financially dependent on her partner or the government. 
Shocking!

I used to think that men were better and more important than us girls and women. More suited to lead. Or to be at the head of a family. 

I put the interests of my male colleague or boss first because I noticed that I was taken less seriously. I thought that was because of my cheerful, free and open-minded nature or because they were smarter.
But don't let them tell you anything, Pomme.
This is not true.

It is a societal problem that the special strengths that all women possess are not valued, when they are such a gold mine. 

Despite my insecurity in my first jobs, I felt an enormous drive to make it. To create a world myself where financial freedom goes hand in hand with gentleness, fun, empathy, creativity and flexibility. Where I can be myself. That is what Moments of Light has become. I am on my way. I fall, I get up and step through, because your sparkling eyes are watching me.

Therefore, I give myself permission to jettison other people's expectations about how it is supposed to be to be a woman, to break stuck thought patterns, to chase my dreams by saying yes to new things that energize me, even though I am afraid of them.

I can't change the world, but I can change myself. 

For you. For me. 

X Mama

  

 

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