Empowered women, empower women.
There has been a
lot of media speculation the past year about ‘Girls Squads’ and whether they
empower women or just exclude them. Obviously I know everyone has different
opinions and experiences about this subject but I wanted to discuss what I think, and how that
has changed since going to university.
I saw a quote the other day that said ‘Girls compete
with each other, Women empower each other’ and it got me thinking about my
experience with groups of girls and how in the past two years, I have come to appreciate the strong independent women I
surround myself with.
Although I’ve loved finding a new group of friends
this year I want to take a moment and appreciate my old friends. I remember back when I was 15 (I don’t
understand how that is four years ago) I wanted to be in a friendship group
with guys, I created a perfect picture in my head and at that time, I
don’t think I appreciated my group of girls as much as I should have. However
I’ve now come to realise how amazing that group of girls are. We
spent seven years together and made so many memories that it’s hard to remember
all of them. The great thing is that although we don’t see each other everyday
like we used to, we know we are always there for each other. Our teenage years are some of our hardest but I did it with this great
group of girls by my side. Yeah, we went through a lot of stupid little fights,
but we came out the other side. I am so excited to go on holiday with them
all for a week at the end of June, I can’t wait to make new memories and catch
up on the past year.
Sports – Dancing and Cheerleading has always played a
huge part in my life, and most of the time it was the people surrounding me
that made it so great. My Cheer team this year, Destiny, was a huge part
of making me realise how strong women can be. I was in an all-girl team, meaning
we didn’t have the natural strength that men normally bring to cheer, it meant we had to
work out butts off to score high. We fought hard for our right to be on the mat, we overcame
obstacles, we powered through pain and but we became stronger because of it. We
lifted each other up, mentally and physically, and we rocked the floor. When I
danced we would also normally be just girls (sometimes with one or two guys) and we could
create something beautiful, something so serene and gentle. I spent years dancing next to my best friends and once again, although I don't see or speak to them everyday they still inspire me in many ways. Both Cheerleading
and Dancing taught me strength in different ways, and its the fact that when
you perform, your surrounded by a group of girls who you know are going to
catch you if you fall, which makes it great.
Going to university this year taught me a lot of
things and the ‘Cheer Senoritas’ were a huge part of that. Now, I’m still not
100% sure why we call ourselves that, it’s just the name of our group message that has stuck. They taught me to be comfortable
in my own skin. They taught me that you don’t have to wear a full face of
make-up every time you go out. They taught me that it’s okay to be fully
interested and passionate in what you are studying. They taught me it’s okay to
have strong views or opinions. They taught me that it is okay for you to do
what you need to do. We are all different, none of us have the exact same personality, but that is what makes a group special. We appreciate one another and lift up each other, we boost each others confidence when we need it most, but are also there to comfort each other through the hard and stressful moments.
We all accept each other for who we are and somehow we all
just fit together like pieces in a puzzle. I am eternally grateful to find
these girls this year, and I know, whatever next year throws at us that we will
all still be there for each other.
I know this blog post is a bit random, and technically is just me
talking about how much I love my friends, but I wanted to highlight that ‘Girl
Squads’ are good. Yes, people can be bitchy but, that's just a fact of life. I wanted to highlight the positive aspects of them and take a second to appreciate these women.
As a group of girls or women we have the power to support someone. We can show them that we are always there for them no matter what. We can believe in them to chase their dreams. We can be inspired and motivated by their achievements. We can boost someones confidence with just one single complement. A single person has the ability to comfort someone when they are crying, but a group gives that person someone to lean on at all hours. Be that person, be in that group of inspiring women and be that inspiring woman. Groups of women or girls shouldn't be intimidating or scary, they should be full of laughter and smiles that radiate friendliness and inclusiveness. I've learnt a lot the past two years, but the most valuable thing I've learnt is how important it is to have a group of friends who you can lean on!
Hope this hasn't been too much of a ramble! And you all have a good start to the week, Christina x
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