When an unpredictable rainstorm swept through my town on the eve of my 23rd birthday, I thought it was unfortunate, but I didn’t let it get my spirits down. A couple months later, when my entire city and nearby towns completely lost electricity for multiple days in the thick of Texas’ summer, I tried to keep reminding myself, “I’m not the only one going through this.” However it was the fact that this mass power outage just so happened to occur over the same week that months before, I had pre-planned to release my debut book, that made it difficult to not question if this was more that just a stroke of bad luck.
If you know me, then you know I try to remain positive in any situation thrown my way. I’ve gone through too many trials and tribulations in my life to let the small inconveniences break me. A quote I still live by, five years after first introducing it on this very blog, is the words of Victor Frankl, who said “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.” I cannot divine when a patch of rain will turn into a flood, I cannot control when strong winds will shut off electricity for thousands, nor for how long. What I can control, is the decision to remain positive in any given situation, to understand that all storms will eventually pass.
If this year has taught me anything, it’s that you can have everything planned out according to the way you hope things pan out, but things almost never actually happen in the precise way we would like. Expectations only lead to disappointment, so expect nothing. Do not fear the unexpected, for all you could ever dream of could just be awaiting you. Dream big, set goals, and work hard, but expect nothing. What’s meant for you, in time, shall be yours.
I used to dream of having my articles published by a big time company, or to have my works published on bookshelves across every bookstore. When I realized that this dream in reality was just too far beyond my reach, I redirected my focus and took matters into my own hands. This year, I self-published my very first book—something I never thought I was capable of doing. I can now say, “I am a published author”, because I stopped tying myself down to the expectations I had set upon myself.
So did I ever imagine I’d be celebrating my debut book’s release in the passenger seat of the car as we were going on almost three days without power, in the loosest-fitting close we could find to accommodate the Texas summer heat, just begging for one bar of service so I could share this moment with the world? Absolutely not. But I also never expected to see my name printed on the cover of a book. I never expected even one person would buy my works, but I made a promise to myself one year ago, and all of that—I accomplished in 2024.
So while I vow to free myself from the burden of expectations, I will continue to believe in the power of manifestation, I will keep faith in myself and continue to work hard to achieve everything I set upon in this life.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it’s only right that I highlight the achievements of the fierce females who, this year alone, have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of girls with a dream.
The first all-women Navy flyover in the Super Bowl
The fly-over team for Super Bowl LVII includes, from left to right, Lt. Arielle Ash of Abilene, Texas; Lt. Margaret Dente of North Salem, New York; Lt. Naomi Ngalle of Springfield, Virginia; Lt. Jacqueline Drew of Waltham, Massachusetts; Lt. Suzelle Thomas of Birmingham, Alabama; and, Lt. Kathryn Martinez, also of Springfield, Virginia. (U.S. Navy Office of Information)
On February 12, 2023, history was made at the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t by the male athletes. Prior to kickoff and following the singing of the National Anthem, a team of all women piloted the US Navy flyover. This was to commemorate 50 years since women were allowed to be Navy pilots. Lt. Arielle Ash and Lt. Saree Moreno, who led the diamond formation, spoke on this honor. “It’s definitely a huge honor to be asked to do this and to celebrate those women that have paved this way for all of us,” said Ash. Moreno added, “I think it’s a message not just to young girls, but to young people that they can do whatever they set their mind to…And if they want to be a jet pilot, that is well within possibility for them.” These heroic ladies exude pride in their service to this country and in their position as women in the military. They deserve honor not only for having to prove their value in a field that, even still, consists of mostly men, but for being a part of history at one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.
From left to right: Julia Morales (Astros), Jen Mueller (Mariners), Angie Mentink (Mariners), Jenny Cavnar (Rockies), were the on-air voices serving as play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporters during the Mariners vs. Rockies Spring Training game on March 11, 2023.
During the 2023 Spring Training, ROOT SPORTS Network gathered women reporters from various baseball teams and networks to come together and hold its first-ever game broadcasted completely by women. While this was not a first for MLB, these ladies cemented their names into history by becoming just the second fully female broadcast crew. Cavnar reflected on this opportunity by saying “I think just walking around a baseball clubhouse or walking around fields at Spring Training and being able to see several women in several different areas—it is so refreshing, and it just goes to show you the hard work that a lot of us have put in for decades is spreading.” For decades female sports reporters have had to work hard to be taken seriously and prove their proficiency in working for a men’s sport. This move by ROOT SPORTS Network was a step in the right direction for future knowledgable, sports-loving ladies. Prior to the game, Mueller stated “It’ll just be female voices that are leading those conversations. And I think that’s an important thing, because we all have different points of view. But also, it shows people that it’s possible and that it’s normal.” These respected reporters are living proof that women aren’t going away anytime soon in the world of sports.
Michelle Yeoh becomes the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Michelle Yeoh accepts the best actress award for Everything Everywhere All at Once onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
While her career spans many decades, actress Michelle Yeoh is finally receiving her rightful recognition, at the age of 60. Following the release of the film Everything Everywhere All at Once just over a year ago, the screenplay quickly began receiving many accolades. For her role in the film as Evelyn, a first-generation Chinese immigrant and owner of a laundromat, she previously won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Yeoh then went on to make history with her win at the 95th Academy Awards for the same role. On March 12, 2023, by winning an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, she became the first Asian woman to win in such category as well as the first-ever Malaysian-born actress to win in any category at the Academy Awards. Yeoh, who is known to perform many of her own stunts in her action films, including her latest, has worked tirelessly throughout her career to make a name for herself, not only as an Asian, but a woman in a male-dominated industry, and it seems to finally be paying off. In her acceptance speech she professed, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that…dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up. This leading lady is certainly an inspiration to aspiring actors and actresses alike.
Watch Michelle Yeoh’s full acceptance speech here
Honorable Mention: Judy Heumann
Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the US State Department Judy Heumann at her office in Washington, DC on November 8, 2010.
While this activists’ contributions go beyond just this year, it would be a disservice to the disabled community if I failed to mention this inspiring woman, who sadly passed away on March 4, 2023. I’ve already once written about her on this blog in discussing the Disability Rights Movement and the summer camp she and others attended, Camp Jened, featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Heumann, who contracted polio at age 2, devoted her life to advocacy for the rights of those with a disability. At the age of 5, she was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a “fire hazard”. She recounts this time in her memoir, Being Heumann, writing “Kids with disabilities were considered a hardship, economically and socially”. As an adult, she was denied a teaching license after failing her medical exam, even though she passed her oral and written exams. After suing the Board of Education, she was able to become the first teacher who was a wheelchair user in the state of New York. During President Obama’s presidency, he appointed Judy as the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, where she served from 2010-2017. Heumann was a key leader who, through her activism and protesting, helped the passage of multiple laws for the disabled community such as Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. While discussing the lack of authentic disability representation and inclusion in films in a 2021 interview, she argued “They need to be bringing disabled people to the table in the development of their materials, and they need to be hiring disabled people for a part or all aspects of the work…Ultimately, it’s not just about looking at more Crip Camps and more films on disability, but it’s really also about understanding that disabled people, both on the sets and off, have much to contribute around disability, but also in general.” While we’ve seemingly made progress in recent years, we surely have a long ways to go. The tireless efforts of her and others who fought for the rights of the disabled community is not lost on me. She is a prime example that we’re all “Heumann”.
Judy Huemann, amongst others, protesting during the Disability Rights Movement
All these stellar woman who have made waves in their respective industries are just some of many that make me proud to be a woman!
》 Faith It ‘til You Make It 《 