“You Got This, Queen!”

Who is someone in your life that empowers and inspires you?

Did you know that today, April 7th, is recognized as National Girl, Me Too Day? I sure didn’t! And you might be asking yourself, what the heck is Girl, Me Too Day? Well — full transparency moment — sometimes I get writer’s block and I can’t always think of a blog post topic each week. Some weeks I want to take the “easy” road and just post NO BLOG POST THIS WEEK! But then I remember why I started this endeavor, how much I enjoy the finished product, and how many of you look forward to reading my posts each week! (Thank youuuu!) I can’t let you all down! But, last night, I found myself at one of those dead ends, not knowing what to write about so I thought back to a blog writing tip: write about a national holiday or public event. No major events immediately popped into my head (besides the fact that it’s voting season and we’re still waiting on the results for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings, but I can’t just wait until the last minute to write on such important topics like those!). That caused me to turn to my trusty friend Google and I Googled “national days April 2022.”

And don’t ya know, that there is a whole website dedicated to the number of national holidays recognized, what they’re about, who started them, and when they started?! It’s all found on NationalDayCalendar.com. And today is National Girl, Me Too Day (as well as National No Housework Day. You’re welcome! ;)).

GIRL, ME TOO!™ is a non-profit organization that was established to promote the healing, empowerment and education of women and young ladies while encouraging healthy relationships amongst all women. GIRL, ME TOO!™ was developed during the personal struggle of two women looking at life through each other’s eyes. This experience sparked a multifaceted movement that seeks to change the way we as a female gender respond to certain situations as well as how we interact with one another. We are dedicated to helping our sisters heal from the pain of the past, while providing the tools needed to empower the future. Poetry has been a very powerful vessel in our growth. Allowing women from all walks of life to come together in the arts, mentoring, public speaking and education to give a voice to our situations. This movement has been memorialized with the honor of having April 7th named National Girl Me Too Day. Each time you hear Girl, Me Too you know that you are not alone. Remember “Divided we stand strong because we have no choice, but standing together we have the power to change the world.”

Girl Me Too Website

National Women’s History Month is widely celebrated in March, but we should celebrate, empower, and uplift women on a daily basis! I love the mission of Girl Me Too and I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this organization and movement until now. I even got more excited when I saw that this is a Black-owned organization that has a lot of support from other Black women!

In addition to supporting women through every day struggles and celebrating women through every day victories, GMT also reminds us women that we are not alone. How many of you forget that you aren’t alone? I know that I sometimes I surely do. Especially since I live so physically far away from my family, there are some evenings where I wish I didn’t come home to an empty place. And there are some days where I feel like I’m the only one in the world dealing with a specific issue or circumstance, and I just feel — alone. I usually don’t tell anyone when I feel alone because I like to think I’m Wonder Woman haha. I like to think that my problems and feelings are too insignificant to complain about to others or to add my problems onto their plates. I usually take the approach that I can do it own my own and I will figure it out on my own (with God’s help of course).

But I don’t think that’s healthy. I know I need to ask for help more often, and I even wrote about it a few weeks ago! Asking for help or even sharing what you’re going through with someone else is a way to reassure yourself that you are not alone. GMT is also a way to reassure yourself. Their message and mission can be applied to so many areas of so many people’s lives! GMT is also just a friendly reminder to be friendly and kind to people on a daily basis, even if you don’t know them or talk to them often.

GMT encourages people to do things like give a greeting card of encouragement to a woman you don’t know, a woman you don’t usually associate with, or any woman on National Girl Me Too Day.

Today, I choose to give a shoutout to two new mothers, Dayna and Ashley. They just recently became mothers for the very first time to two beautiful, healthy baby boys and I am oh so proud of them. I know I cannot fully comprehend the mental, physical, and emotional pain they went through during their pregnancies and their deliveries, but I know that none of it is easy. I want Dayna and Ashley to know that they are strong, fearless, and capable women and that they are great mothers today, tomorrow, and forevermore! I also want them to know that I am here for them whenever they need me! I am blessed to be a godmother to Dayna’s son JoSaun and an adoptive aunt to Ashley’s son August 🙂 You got this, Queens!

“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” — Hebrews 13:16, NKJV.

Moni Jay, Off the Record