My mother and sister gave this laptop backpack to me, which I LOVE! It was an unexpected splurge from them. This backpack was a gift to celebrate an advancement of education, which is something no one can ever take away from you. My sister was the first in our family to earn a graduate degree. I followed in her footsteps decades later. She cheered me on all the way!

I started wearing the backpack with sweaters and corduroys in the fall and with a peacoat in the winter. The backpack received compliments from the people I saw at roundtables and coaching sessions. It got compliments at the library and coffee shops.

This is a backpack that says I got important shit in here and some important things to do. I can feel confident with this sturdy, leather bag that is practical and attractive. I cannot express enough how much this gift means to me. I think of my mom and sister every time I use it. They, together with my grandmothers, aunts, and cousins, are my original sisterhood.

This backpack reminds me of my Bohemian roots from the countryside of what is now the Czech Republic. We were clever and intrepid. And, we were fiercely focused on family. In receiving this gift I remembered where I came from. I come from a strong mother and stronger yet, older sister. They protected me and supported me as I grew and continue to show up as I continue to grow. They rooted on every crazy endeavor. They applauded my accomplishments. They loved on all occasions. This pair of women was there when I gave birth to my first child. They have been bedside for health challenges I have endured.

It is this first love that shaped the feminist I am today. I believe women have great strength and deserve equal opportunities to build a life they deserve that is full of love and abundance. I believe my responsibility and privilege as a woman is to stand with other women on their journeys with encouragement, compassion, and kindness. I’m growing to be better at this.

It wasn’t my destiny to have daughters but I have two nieces – brilliant teenagers who are part of our sisterhood’s future. This generation discerns information, participates, believes in themselves, and they know that they deserve an equal say on the court, in the boardroom, and in the family home.

I recently read two feminist books concurrently. One was from Sue Monk Kidd, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine. The other was The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. The former was published in 1996; it is an examination of the patriarchy present in the Christian faith. It is the story of a wife and mother’s journey to reconcile her faith while listening to her own voice in a male-dominated religious tradition. The latter was published nearly twenty years later in 2018; it spans the societal mistreating of and contributions from women from the 1960s to the early 2000s. It is told from the point of view of a fictional college student who grows into an adult woman who worked for a company led by a feminist pioneer a generation ahead of her. It covers a lot of territory and includes a love story.

Both books tell of the innate desire to stand out from the shadows and embrace one’s own power and possibility. In was an affirming month where I contemplated the women who shaped me personally, and the women who made societal contributions advancing women’s rights.   

The beauty of the sisterhood is the love we have for one another. From throwing wedding and baby showers, to showing up with meals and gifts, to offering to listen to and care for one another, women need other women in their lives. The beauty of this backpack is in the independence it provides. Stuff it full and sling it over your shoulders, then bravely carry on with the day at hand. One day at a time.