WOMAN

With grace she walks
Her head held high…
Dignity surrounds her like an impenetrable cloak.
And a half smile dances on her lips…
She sits next to me
And in a gravelly voice
So at odds with her yet at the same time… Oddly fitting
She bids me good morning.
I am struck by how her face seems to light up when she smiles.
I pull myself together
And the questions begin…
A tale is told,
One of pain and heartbreak,
Of reselience and determination,
Of joy and happiness.
She tells of what has made her,
The fires she has walked through to reach her dreams,
The dragons she has slayed… of society’s judgment
Judgement on what a woman should and should not be,
How she should behave,
What she can and cannot want for herself…
She tells of the mountains she has climbed to reach the peak of self acceptance
Still a work in progress she says…
With a laugh that touches my soul
She tells of the many titles she holds
Professional, mentor
Daughter, sister
Lover and yes, heartbreaker
She tells of the hard road she’s walked paved by lost friendships and betrayals,
Betrayals that came from those closest to her..
She tells of the hard choice she’s made
To leave behind those who were not meant to be in her life,
Rather meant to remain as dancing mists in her memories.
She tells of the lessons life has taught her,
Lessons to take joy and happiness in the little things,
Lessons in the pain and suffering that humans can so oft inflict on each other,
Lessons in breaking and shattering,
And in reforging oneself better and stronger
And the most important thing I have learnt, she says
Is that the most valuable person in your life is you
So, she tells me, treat yourself well, be kind to yourself, love yourself…
And forgive yourself…
She flashes that same half smile, thanks me for my time
And glides out of the room.
I feel an acute loss… One I cannot explain…
I stare after her
Trying to comprehend what she has been through.
For in the quiet, steady intensity of her last words,
Hints of a depth that can only be gained
By walking through the flames of life… and finding out that you can take the heat.
I chuckle to myself
Truly…. She is both holy water and hell fire
A holder of more titles that can be written on a plaque
She is mother, daughter, sister
She is a mentor, an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on
She is all she wants to be
She is without a doubt…
… A woman

Gihihi?