Woman Wednesday: Jackie Thomas

Ever meet someone and think, wow yep, this person is what it means to be joyous?☺️ Meet Jackie. I've met her in person maybe 3 times and she never fails to make me feel like I'm one of her great pals. She reminds me of all my great mentors in life and I hope she reminds you that to be strong is to be unique.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"Over time, I’ve come to realize that being a strong person does not necessarily look the same for everyone. I’ve have to divorce myself from the fallacy that my strength needs to look, feel, and be developed in the same way as others. It doesn’t. We all have our own unique experiences that shape and mold us along the way. For me, it was important to realize that being strong and being soft are not two mutually exclusive entities. Instead, those dualities inform and embrace each other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
On the surface, my strength is probably a quieter one that you can’t detect immediately. Sometimes it is overshadowed by an enthusiastic personality. It waits for the opportunity to present itself. When the occasion arises, my strength is a dogged and indefatigable perseverance. It’s the patience and faith to keep trying again and again. It’s the ability to craft different solutions on the fly. It’s cultivating a hopeful heart and generosity of spirit even when things look bleak. And finally, it’s having learned that being strong requires that you be soft at times. Being strong is having the humility and the grace to be vulnerable. It’s accepting the help and love from others that we often don’t think we need or, perhaps, deserve. Ironically, being vulnerable helps me be strong."