Women’s Day message

by Nanda Wubs-Huizenga

“This current chapter of my life is called my turn, and I’m unapologetic about it.” This quote resonates with me.

As a Wife, Mother, Business Owner and Community Volunteer, I’ve spent my entire adult life meeting the needs of those around me. Somewhere along the way, I lost myself and it took special people to nurture me back to where I needed to be. How about you?

Do you give yourself space to be you? Do you have people who nurture you? If not, do you nurture yourself? International Women’s Day is a good day to start reflecting on you!

Last summer was a time of personal reflection and I realized that while meeting the needs of others motivated and inspired me, there was something missing. I forgot to listen to what I needed to be happy and settled far too often. Life was ‘good enough’ and I was blessed with the love of family, goodwill in the community and business success. Yet, I was hurting.

Hurt has a way of disconnecting you. Pain can be so deep that your heart can’t bear to feel anything. When I lost my son to cancer in 2019, grief made me numb. So… I filled my time with more giving. The loss of a child is a pain so unbearable that many cannot overcome it, but I chose to overcome. Today and everyday, I look for things that bring me joy. I do things for myself that nurture my own heart and don’t rely solely on others to do that.

As women, we grieve for many reasons; relationships that are not healthy, loved ones who are suffering, children who are