my birthday party: real women. real inspiration.

i don't know if it's the rise and influence of social media or my personal season of middle age, but never have i been more aware of what other women are out there doing. i mean it -- never have i been so in tune with the activities and accomplishments of others: the cooking of the perfect pot roast, the capturing of the clever photo, the trophy of the triumphant son, the awarding of another honor.

i see.

last month i wrote a post [ rejoicing or jealous?] discussing how our -- okay, my -- human nature is sometimes quicker to move in the direction of jealousy than it is to truly rejoice in another's success. from the feedback, i guess i'm not the only one who struggles here. good grief, is it true? i'm not the only broken crayon in the box? what a relief!

but with that ugly elephant out of the way, recently, i have felt a strange, but incredibly strong, pull toward truly celebrating the amazing women around me.

i'm not sure the reason, but God continues to cross my path with incredible women. real women who really inspire: mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends. i just keep meeting them -- girls who are getting it done and, most importantly, encouraging others while doing it.

from that friend of mine who tenderly comes alongside young mamas to the nice checkout lady at home depot who joyfully rings up her customers --- these women keep popping up everywhere.

and i'm on to them. 

i have eyes and ears tuned to the success of these females finding their sweet spots. it happens, you know. when we stop thinking about ourselves and our own stuff, it is truly inspiring to take note of those around us who are using their gifts for God's glory.

so, i want to celebrate this. celebrate them.

and because november is my birthday month, i am hosting a little party here on my blog!

this month -- starting this week -- i'm kicking off a new series: real women. real inspiration. i'm planning to share with y'all some of these gifted girls who keep coming my way. trust me, i have a list, but i'm also open to suggestions, so feel free to send me the story of someone inspiring in your life.

that's what this birthday party is about: inspiration, collaboration and celebration.

consider yourself invited!

i'm serious, if you'd like to nominate someone inspiring, email me at emmyandty@aol.com. i'd love to hear from you. i'd love to hear their story. whether you write to me or not, what i'd most like you to do is to go looking anyway. take time each day to see the people around you. go ahead and see if you can find someone who is doing something really well. i'm not talking about someone who is necessarily making a big splash -- maybe just a small ripple. but maybe that small ripple is impacting and encouraging others. just go looking. take the time to notice and take the time to rejoice in others.
maybe you can tag them or send them this post and tell them ... "this is YOU! this is what YOU are doing!" let them know they have inspired you. it's a beautiful thing.

friends, i know these female relationships can sometimes be challenging, but instead of competing or coveting, let's be women who take the time to encourage and be encouraged.

join me!

by the way, i'm not sure i have a totally concrete plan as to when i'll post these stories. i kicked around the idea of having "fabulous female fridays" or "wonderful women wednesdays," but, truth be told, that's really not how i operate -- all organized and official like that. (sorry).  so, just know they'll show up when they show up. much more my style.  =)