As I look over my life, I see more clearly why the choices I made led me to where I am today. Each decade held many challenges for me and the weight of each choice either empowered me to stay true to myself or become one of many where I followed the voice of others. Women have always struggled with their way of life, their role as a single woman, mother, partner, or wife, and their desire to fulfill their dreams. I have learned to never give up on a dream. Mine was to become a writer who would touch the lives of others through the stories I wrote whether they be for adults or children. As I traveled the world with my parents and as a stewardess for Pan American Airlines, little did I know that the love I had for people, places, and different cultures would someday find its way back to me when I picked up the pen to write. As I traveled, I naturally memorized the things that touched my life from architecture to food, music, unforgettable moments both good and bad, and nature’s amazing strength and beauty throughout the world. Knowledge and experience are gifts to a writer. Little did I know that I would follow in my father and mother’s footsteps who were both writers.
Empowerment to me as a woman is to never give up on your dream, to have faith, and to trust that you will work through any obstacles that cross your path. You can’t be stubborn and think you don’t have to change to succeed. We are constantly changing, learning, letting go, and discovering new pieces of ourselves that complete our puzzle, the one that we will be remembered for either by our family and friends or the unknown souls that cross our path. I wish the women of the world to embrace their individuality, the secret parts that glue them together, their beauty, and their strength to persevere even when they feel alone on their journey. The truth is we are never alone, our energy and struggles connect us all and empower each of us to never give up on our dreams.