the women in my life

Today, i surprisingly managed to get myself going and cross the Bosphorus after quite a long time (purely self-motivated). Having been stuck at home and with the sun shining i arrived at Taksim, which i used to adore, now not quite as much but i still enjoy it. I sometimes hate the crowd there, and sometimes enjoy being able to disappear amongst loads and loads of people. My path led me from a publishing house to a cafe in Tünel and then over to Karaköy (Haliç) from where i took the ferry back to Kadıköy. I tend to forget the value and the impact of these days in my life - you know, those days which never seem to come when you are stuck in an office. I am glad i stepped my foot outside and manage to stroll through Istanbul. Enjoying the beautiful, reddish-golden sunset over Haliç from the ferry i thought about both my mother and grandmother who are supposed to come for the weekend. And suddenly my thoughts went over to all the wonderful women around me who all seem to be so much stronger than i ever will be (thank god they are small in quantity though). They all seem to share:
-a passion for nature
-a connection with something greater than themselves
-a connection with childhood memories
-a connection to other artists, writers, and creators
-a sharing of ideas and inspiration: creative gatherings, dinners, support groups, cafe meetings, letter writing, afternoon teas
-a need for, and a confidence in, solitude
-a capacity for self-motivation, inspiring walks, travel, learning new skills, reading, cooking, exploring
-an experience of pain and the triumph of moving beyond it to create a well of strength
-a gift of mindfulness and an ability to see magic in the ordinary
-an experience of gratefulness and compassion for all the good things and people in their lives

These are KeriSmith's thoughts, and i totally agree. Think about all the women in your life, and how they manage to survive beautifully (yet sometimes with difficulty) without a man in their lives. Oh, and enjoy the sunset from time to time. It'll do you a lot of good. Promise.