March used to feel like just another month.
But over time, Women’s History Month has become something deeper for me. It’s a reminder that I am part of a long line of women who have endured, who have carried pain, and who have still chosen to rise.
For a long time, I didn’t see myself as strong. I saw myself as someone who had been through something I didn’t choose—something that took pieces of my confidence, my voice, and my sense of safety.
But healing slowly changed that.
Through spaces created by the Leila Grace Foundation, I began to hear other women’s stories—and in them, I started to find my own voice again. I realized that strength doesn’t always look loud or fearless. Sometimes, it looks like simply getting out of bed. Speaking one truth. Taking one step forward.
Women’s History Month isn’t just about the past—it’s about the women living and healing right now.
It’s about survivors who are choosing to speak, even when their voice shakes.
It’s about reclaiming identity, piece by piece.
It’s about realizing that what happened to me does not define who I am becoming.
Today, I honor the women before me.
And I honor the woman I am still becoming.
Because my story didn’t end with what happened to me.
It continues with how I rise from it.