International Daughters Day

Starting in India, this day has strived to raise awareness of the struggles girls have in many countries where they are often considered a burden and inferior to sons. The holiday honors the impact daughters have on the world as it recognizes girls as equal to boys in society and the family. Throughout the world people are encouraged to show how proud they are of their daughters and how much they are loved.

This holiday is dear to my heart as we have four daughters adopted from China. Each one has a beautiful story of how we came to be a family but I can’t forget the politics, history and cultural biases that allowed four beautiful girls to be abandoned in various spots throughout the country. There is a saying in China that an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, and throughout the journey, the thread may tangle and twist but it will never break. 

My girls and I were destined to be together. They are all intelligent, talented, compassionate girls who are striving to make an impact in their community. Almost adults now, I’m sending them off into a world that still does not recognize them as equal partners in society. From gender pay gaps, to the #metoo movement, I know that they will face discrimination and dangers in a society that must learn to value them. Even though their journey in this life will have tangles and twists, they will always have mama to come home to. A place where they are loved, valued and encouraged to be strong, and hold their head high, as they take up their sword and fight for equality in this world.