Born Brave; A Girls' Night Out

I climbed the stairs to the red Victorian house--cursing my decision to wear high heels despite the fact they were BRIGHT yellow and GORGEOUS.  My little piggies were painfully scrunched into the pointy tips of my shoes, and my feet already hurt!  After a quick, "fluff of the hair," I pulled open the heavy, oak door and tentatively peered inside.  I was greeted by a lovely, dark-haired woman who complimented me on my accessories; instantly warming my heart and making me feel comfortable.

I scanned the crowd--taking in the large and elegant foyer, the soft lighting, and all the dolled-up, socializing women.  Some were laughing.  Some were taking pictures.  Several were eating refreshments.

Then, I saw her, standing on the left side of the room.  Cowboy boots.  A beaded cuff bracelet.  Brown hair twisted and clipped at the back of her head.  Dark eyes as deep as wells, perhaps to reflect the depth of her spirit...

Katherine Nelson.  Singer, songwriter, wife, mother, actress, advocate of women everywhere.  Member of a band.  Member of a community.  Member of a church and family.  Brave and open.  Funny and gracious.  A woman on a mission to reach and inspire other women.

I walked into the historic sitting room--an inviting space in its shades of butter cream and ivory.  Eager to enjoy an intimate concert with my fellow bloggers, I took my seat (and rested my toes).


What happened next was amazing.


Katherine touched all of our hearts; inspiring us with her deeply-rooted wisdom.  She sang songs from her album, "Born Brave."  She shared her thoughts with us on what it means to be a woman in today's world; the courage it takes to face our female-oriented adversities.  She told stories; she made us laugh.  She cried; she made us cry.  She made us want to cheer for the special women we are; she made us want to dance for the women we could become.

Katherine's, "Born Brave," album is particularly precious because it not only carries a powerful message in it's lyrics, it stands for an empowering and worthwhile movement.  According to Katherine, "When we strengthen women, we strengthen the world.  We are all born brave."   

As I listened to Katherine's velvety and soulful vocals, and looked at the women around me, and thought about her message, I became keenly aware of how incredible we all are.  Women are amazing!

We are the homemakers and the character shapers.  The cookie bakers.  The picture takers.  We battle the bullies and the boo-boos.  We fight the flu bugs and the learning disabilities, the infertility and the long checkout lines at the store, the desire to pull the covers over our heads and stay in bed.  We juggle the bickering children, the contentious coworkers, the demanding bosses.  We carry band-aids and juice boxes and briefcases and Matchbox cars and grocery lists.  We fight hard, love hard, work hard.  We step up to the plate, with our heads held high and our shoulders back, because we know that whatever curve ball life chooses to throw at us we can knock it out of the park.  We do not have to be afraid.  We just need to help each other; strengthen each other through godly love, kindness, and compassion.

I pondered on what I could do to strengthen the breathtaking women around me, as I walked to my parked car at the event's end.

I can write, I thought, as I kicked off my yellow heels and drove home in my bare feet.

I can write, and hopefully the beautiful women in my life--the ones who are near, the ones who are far, the ones I know well, the ones I haven't personally met yet, the ones I laugh with, the ones I cry with, the ones who inspire me to be better--can feel of the love I carry for them, the sincerity that resides in my heart, that manifests itself in the words I write, in the sentences I create.

I can write for them.

 And I can write for her...

...the littlest (and most important) woman in my life.

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Additional resources AKA super cool links:  

http://www.facebook.com/katherinenelsonmusic  

(where the first picture was taken from...thank you, thank you!)

 www.katherinenelson.com