An ode for Mother’s Day

by Chloe Hanna

“Things have changed and gotten better, but at the time I was pregnant I saw having a girl as a challenge; and I was up for it. I said ‘Ok. I’m going to do it. I’m going to raise an amazing, intelligent, confident woman.’ And it was a challenge, because you are all of those things. When you have an intense personality you are going to push the boundaries.”

This was my mother’s response to me when I asked her how she felt when she found out I was going to be a girl.

What does it take to raise a strong woman? What does it take to raise the kind of child that when asked what they want to do with their life they say that they want to travel the world and fight for humanity? As we are wrapping up our first year at Global college I wanted to write a kind of ode to the women who got us here. The ones who pushed us and the ones who believed in us. The ones who whether they meant to or not taught us to believe we were the kind of people who could travel the world and make our world a brighter place to inhabit.

Alongside my mother, I also talked to two of my classmates’ moms. All three moms from all across the world, raising daughters to be strong empowered women in this world. When asked what she thought about her daughter going to LIU Global Laura talked about how she couldn’t even be worried because she was so excited for her, and that Costa Rica may be far away but so was Los Angeles and any other college. Similarly, Fernanda was just thinking about how amazing this experience would be for her daughter and that she will change the world one day, opening people’s minds. My mother, said that she was just so excited that I had the opportunity to go to a school that was such a perfect fit for me, because everywhere else just looked like “sterile prisons”. The sentiment shared by all three mothers is along the lines that although the world is dangerous they trust their daughters to be smart and want they want us to go out into the world and flourish.

I have witnessed first-hand how badass all of the people in my class are, and how strong the women in this community are, but how do our moms impact us becoming strong independent women? I asked all three mothers what were some of the things that they focused on while raising girls.

Laura talked about how she wanted to make sure that her daughters knew that they are equal while in a relationship and that they are not less because they are a woman, she also strived to surround her two girls with other strong women. She wanted to teach her girls in subtle ways and for them to be kind, loving, and respecting; which she says that they both are.

Fernanda also wanted both of her daughters to be loving, and have respect. She wanted them to both understand that although people are different that everyone deserves respect. She tried to help teach them about loyalty, ethics and especially acceptance.

My mother, Cynthia said that she wanted me to learn that there are ways to get to the top without stepping on people. She wanted me to learn to push back to make it in a world that can turn anything against a strong woman and to have love, humility, and grace. She wanted me to understand consequences, have compassion, and follow my values and morals.

These are three very different women from opposite sides of the US and Brazil, but in the end, they shared with me that they wanted the same thing; for their children to have love and give love. Although the world is not the kindest to strong women these mothers have not only stayed strong themselves but also raised independent, strong, and empowered young women who are striving to change this world. So I would like to say thank you, for not only raising strong young women but for also encouraging us to shoot for the stars and teaching us that we can reach them if we try.