Being older is taking off the rose-coloured glasses we wear when we regard the people who have raised us; maturity is still being able to look up to them even after the fantasy has been shattered. I admire my mother because she is not perfect. She never claimed to be; I think the older I get the more I am forced to see all the trauma she carries and accept that she did the best she could for herself. She is broken, but every day she tries; after all, she is a human, who tries her best to be strong.

I admire her smiles that light up the whole room. I admire her random dances around the house to cheer up her moody firstborn daughter and I admire that she worked hard to be the mother she could be. I admire my mother because she has always been a free spirit, attached to nothing but her children – as her shield but also a small army to fight for. I admire my mother because, on the roughest days, she carries the most burdens.

For Women’s Month I went around in the streets of Cape Town asking other young people to share about the women they admire:

Siphokuhle Velani

I admire my sisters because they raised me to be a strong woman who can stand up for herself. Our parents passed when we were young and they had to take care of me but I never felt lacking even without parents.

Samantha Platjie

The women I admire the most are Celine Dion and my granny; Celine Dion because I was raised listening to her music, and because of how much she has grown with the changing times of the music industry. I love and adore my grandmother because she has always been there for me and is a picture of class even through trying times. So I strive to be as kind and beautiful as she is.

Admiration is an acknowledgement that I see you and all you have done; whether it’s someone close to you or even a celebrity. It can be anyone with characteristics you think you can emulate to improve yourself. So this Women’s Month, celebrate all the women you admire because the world doesn’t highlight them enough.

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Tell us: Which woman do you admire?

If you enjoyed this blog, you will also like “What women have taught me”, here.