My grandmother just celebrated her 100th birthday. The prime minister came to her house and gave her a brand new phone (somewhat of an odd tradition). She must have been smiling inside because in reality, she’s only eighty-something.
When she was young, my grandmother left China with a fake birth certificate, and nothing but hope in her heart and my stubborn grandfather by her side. Communism was overbearing and they decided, against all odds, to flee and begin a new life on a small island.
RESILIENCE LIVES IN MY GRANDMOTHER – A SMALL BUT MIGHTY WOMAN WHO CROSSED OCEANS TO START ANEW, AND MADE A HOME FOR HERSELF IN AN ISLAND WHERE EVERYONE INCLUDING HER OWN SPOKE A FOREIGN TONGUE.
She raised seven children, worked with her brittle hands on the farm, and continued with all her might to create a better life for her family. Some of her kids do not even share a language with her because they were raised in a French school and a Creole culture – my mom being one of them. It’s a sacrifice she was willing to make for the safety of her children. Resilience lives in my grandmother – a small but mighty woman who crossed oceans to start anew, and made a home for herself in an island where everyone including her own spoke a foreign tongue.
With everything going on in the world today, it’s a pulsing reminder that there is still a lot of room for change and progress, especially for women. But celebration coexists with struggle and now, more than ever, we want to celebrate the remarkable resilience of women, individuals who find the strength and passion to go on despite their circumstances.
Tell us about a female figure in your life (who’s not your mom, because we all know they’re #1 in our lives) that embodies remarkable resilience at hello@matterprints.com