What makes a strong woman?

Part 2

Two Sundays ago, I wrote about some quotes I got from the book What Makes a Strong Woman:101 Insights from Some Remarkable Women written by Helene Lerner.

This time, let me echo the voices of strong women I personally know.

• A strong woman is one who does not depend on anyone or anything for happiness and satisfaction in life. She is free—spirited, open and adaptable to changes, without losing her sense of self. – Eugene Domingo (theater, movie and television actress)

• Strong women are like mothers. They can take all the pains and joys gracefully even if they are rattled. – Ms. Tanya (my son’s teacher)

• The trials she goes through define a strong woman. – Roxanne Farillas (owner of Plains and Prints Clothing line)

• A strong woman is someone who is brave enough to face any challenge – be it physical, emotional or mental. – Odette Velarde of Adidas

• A strong woman is one who can make mistakes and learn from them. One who may fail but never give up. One who can turn the other cheek to an enemy.  One who can smile through the tears and one who shares her joy with others. – Bibsy Carballo (my manager)

• Good or bad experiences can make a strong woman. – Maitet (a mother)

• A strong woman is someone who can accept that not all she asks for will come true. – Etchie of Blue Cross

• A strong woman is defined by her willingness to handle everything she has. – Barbara Gonzales (STAR columnist)

• A strong woman for me is someone who is not ashamed or afraid to show her weaknesses. – Bb. Joyce Bernal (film director)

• The strength of a woman lies in her innate courage, endurance and forbearance as she journeys through life’s intricacies. A woman’s strength lies in her tenacity and courage. – Ambie Burac (executive producer)

• A strong woman knows she has her weakness but decides to be phenomenal in spite of it.– Ayrin (my friend who is a full time dreamer, part time artist)

• A strong woman knows who she is and what she wants and has the courage to face life’s challenges in order to be her own person and to reach her dreams. – Tina Laureta (orthodontist, natural body-builder)

• A strong woman has character, integrity, values, morals, breeding and most of all, independence. – Tetet (branch manager of a bank)

• A woman is strong when she recognizes her unique gifts and talents and uses them to make herself a better person and the world a better place to live in. – Tina Juan (fitness columnist)

• A strong woman is someone who can weather life’s storms while balancing all aspects of her life – family, career, social obligation– without sacrificing her own personal goals. – Cathy (assistant director)

• A strong woman makes a firm decision and takes responsibility for it. She is humble enough to seek for higher guidance, never losing faith in herself. – Cindy (my cousin)

• A strong woman is one who is holistically empowered. Economically she is independent. Socially she sees herself equal to men. She has access to informed choices. Politically, she shares in decision-making. She is articulate. She is productive even if she works outside the home. She is reproductive for she brings up her children, does her household work and knows it is equally important as someone who works outside the home. She is one who takes control over her life and body. – Christian (a good friend of mine)

• A strong woman is a woman who lives her life to the fullest. She sees what each moment has to offer and makes the best of all that she has. – Carla (a friend)

• Being strong doesn’t mean having an iron hand and heart.  Her strength depends also on her experiences in life. She can handle stress and pressure, even if she’s emotionally unstable.  She is someone who can balance family, work, friends, kids. Most importantly, she voluntarily makes sacrifices for the people she loves. – Del (mother, housewife)

• A strong woman is someone who can listen to the pains of her loved ones, sympathize and empathize with them. She knows that things may not go as they wish but they are still willing to wait because they believe all will be well because there is always a God who will make things right. – Penpe Rodrigo (my aunt who’s like a second mom to me)

• It’s not the physical ordeal that a woman commonly faces – from pregnancy to menopause – that makes a woman strong. It’s her ability to struggle, to suffer, to survive and to succeed that makes a woman strong. It is a heavy task because as a woman hurdles life’s many hardships, there is usually someone – a man she has to carry in her heart.– Mons Romulo-Tantoco (Star columnist, businesswoman, mother)

All these and more are what make a strong woman.

(E—mail me at babyjackster@yahoo.com)