I Am Woman

by Michele Rempel

I am the sum of my experiences. But I have transcended beyond them to create my own person. A dash of this. A scoop of that. Some goes in. Some gets scraped out and discarded.

I am soft with hard edges.

I am hard with soft edges.

I can be brought to tears by a harsh word, but I will rain harsh words to defend another, or myself.

I am grounded and rooted, but I can float away to another time and place when I hear a bird sing or a child giggle or a man’s low voice.

A childless woman who became a grandmother.

A teacher who launched a business and still teaches every day.

An artist who delights in form and color, who dares to say, I created something I think you need to see.

A Daughter who questions my God every day. Why? Are you sure? How?

My recipe changes every day.

I am woman.