I have two best girlfriends that I adore. We’ve known each other for 30 years. One, who this story is about, is much like me in personality: bold, sassy, strong and loving and always willing to tell it like it is.
Physically though we are very different. She is 6 foot tall with a huge head of curly blond hair.
This year when starting my e-book series Unscripted, she reached out to help find women to write stories. Of course I told her she should write one! As we were talking she shared a very interesting story. She said:
“Ann, I have never told you this so let me finish. This week I took a group of women to see Wonder Woman. They’re all women I’ve worked with over the years on body image (my friend is a fitness coach). I wanted them to see this strong, powerful woman on the big screen. As I watched I could only think about myself and something you have called me all these years.
For 25+ years you have always introduced me as ‘the blonde Amazon.’ I can always hear you saying; ‘meet my girlfriend Erica, the blonde Amazon.’ And I hated it. It took me back to childhood always being the tallest, or ‘biggest’ as it was described, girl in class. I was the giant! I never got upset because I knew you meant it out of love, but deep inside it was always painful when you said it.
Watching the movie I realized what a great complement it actually was. I am tall and strong and powerful. So now I am owning blonde Amazon.“
Several months later I get a text from her and she says you have to see this as you are a huge part of it. She sends me this picture:
I actually had tears well in my eyes! In starting a new business, that is what she chose to name it.
There is nothing more beautiful than fully owning who you are. All of you.
