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But we can keep speaking for her, shouting the embodiment of the message she stood for when she was burned: Women’s truths deserve to be heard. Mary Magdalene She was vilified as a prostitute, a whore, and someone the church should deem unworthy because of her rumored profession. Her role in Jesus’ life was downplayed and leveled to a label intended to demonize her, reducing her story to another tale of the mercy men could show women. But Mary Magdalene was powerful. Mary Magdalene was a confidant, a leader, and a strong woman who never faltered in her support and belief in what she thought to be true. While historians don’t know the full scope of Mary Magdalene’s life, ancient texts and modern research make it clear that Mary was more than the rumors early Christian scholars spread about her. She was one of the closest and most trusted confidants to a man who led thousands of followers in the Middle East. She’s one of the few women mentioned as a disciple in the Bible. She was one of the last people to remain at the cross when Jesus was killed. She discovered his empty tomb and spread the message days later. Mary Magdalene is an iconic religious figure, but she’s also a powerful role model for women everywhere. She deserves so much reverence and honor for the power she exuded. Mary never quit believing, never let others control how she should think, and never stopped in her dedication to what she knew to be true. Today, she serves as a reminder of holding steadfast to our belief in who we are and our power. She’s an image of strength, even as others built walls and cells intended to trap her and diminish the impact she had on our lives. She’s a pillar of silent power and of believing our worth is greater, more profound than those who wish to silence us want it to be. Oprah Winfrey Everyone knows Oprah Winfrey. Her influence, TV show, opinions, and contributions to history ripple throughout society every day. But her beginnings are humble, torrid with loss, grief, and struggle.
to bear all our wounds, proclaim and live within
Oprah was born in Mississippi, but she was left to live with her grandmother when she was still a little girl. The sexual abuse began when she was 9 years old, and she suffered into her rebellious teen years, bouncing from home to home. She fought for her education, earning a scholarship and becoming an anchor for a CBS TV station when she was just 19 years old. After being dragged around and fired from another job, Oprah landed at A.M. Chicago, where, within a year, she turned the show around and founded the Oprah Winfrey Show. “We are pouring compassion into the fabric of who we are, sewing kindness and love into ourselves and others.” Oprah’s show went on to be a mainstay in many American homes. She ran a daytime talk show from 1986–2011, which skyrocketed her influence over books, fashion, dieting, and mental health. Oprah’s opinion continued to shape cultural tides, change the way network TV functioned, and influence the scope of American politics and storytelling. She fostered honest, real, raw conversations, blurring the lines of what’s “accepted” on television and pushing for our truest expressions and stories. She became one of the most influential, if not the most influential, women to ever live, pushing us all to be ourselves and push beyond the limits set before us. women. Her path was paved in shame, guilt, abandonment, and betrayal, and she rose from it all. The path she created, fought for, and grew out of continues to grow because she’s given us permission to stand on top of our stories, to become who we are meant to be in the most unapologetic sense. We’re allowed Oprah continues to be one of the most integral figures in our modern representation of The rest is history.
our survival, and continue to evolve into the women we are meant to be. My Fit Rise Sisters Yes, all of you. All of the women who
–Danette May Happy International Women’s Month, love. Never stop seeking your truest expression, sister. Never let anyone else tell you who you should be. Fight for your journey on this Earth and live the truth your soul needs you to hear. Listen to it. Live for it. Believe in it. Better yet, believe in you. This March, celebrate you. Celebrate the tribe of women who are supporting you on this journey. Celebrate the women who encourage you every day. Celebrate the strength, the dignity, the beauty, the power that comes from being a woman. consciously decide to love themselves more every day, fighting for radical self-love and healing. All of the women who have stood in the fire and climbed their way to the cliff’s edge, daring someone to knock them over and off the path on their way to their truth. All of the women who still move their bodies toward healing when they feel beaten down. All the women who offer their shoulders for other women to lean on, even when they are tired themselves. All the women who choose to heal through the power of foods, nourishing the very core of their beings with real, whole ingredients. You are all women of strength, of light, of love. I am so honored to be part of a group of women who are growing each day and truly speaking loving words to themselves. We are pouring compassion into the fabric of who we are, sewing kindness and love into ourselves and others. It’s your love that fuels my voice. It’s your voice that empowers my strength. It’s your power that inspires me to grow.
2 Danette May’s Lotus Journal
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