Have you ever noticed how few women superheroes there are in comic books and  movies?  Oh sure, there’s Wonder Woman and Supergirl and Batgirl  – ok, seriously – SuperGIRL and BatGIRL?  Could you ever imagine Batboy, Superboy or Spiderboy?  But I digress.  Anyway, I’m betting there are more women superheroes out there, they’re just not bragging about it and making a scene like the boys.  Especially if they’re like some of the Superwomen I know personally.  The ones who are silent heroes everyday, making a difference in peoples lives and never making a big deal out of it by trying to show everyone how impressive their super powers really are.

I look at women through history, where culture and gender has dictated how they should live their lives, from the tiniest minutia to major life events and how they persevered through adversity, judgement and discouragement.  I marvel at women who stepped out of their comfort zones to prove their self worth and change the lives and perceptions of women and what they could do, one difficult step at a time.

For most of my life, I have gravitated towards men for conversation, learning and encouragement, but the older I get, the more I appreciate women.  I know that must sound very odd, but I grew up in a very traditional household where my mom never worked and she hung out with all of the other moms who either never worked or only worked “for fun money”.  Completely different from my career oriented frame of mind.  Discussions about changing diapers and clipping coupons were not for me and it certainly wasn’t what the men were talking about.

And so, I did what I needed to do – worked full time, raised three children, served in church, maintained a marriage with another career oriented person, and survived.  Yes, it was hard, but you do what you have to do.  However what I’m finding out is that so many of my contemporaries are having to deal with so much more and yet they’re doing it with a smile on their face, working to keep family together, keep the peace, and keep a sense of normalcy during times that are anything but normal.

These superwomen are caretakers for family members from all different generations  with life threatening illnesses, they are surviving spouses, managing to find a way to make it on their own and thrive.  They are dealing with issues of their own; depression, life changes in their bodies, major life events and yet they manage to get up every day and deal with what life might hit them with.  Sometimes it’s tears mixed with the laughter, but trying to find humor whenever they can.  They are the glue that holds everyone and everything together.

I’ve discovered that these Superwomen very rarely ask for help, not wanting to bother others with their issues, but that’s where others of us need to use our intuition to step in to be that superhero’s sidekick.  I’ll be honest when I say I’m not always comfortable getting close to people, but again, I think getting older is helping me to get past that and see how amazing these women are and I want to get to know them better, to learn how they do what they do, to watch their quiet leadership in action.

The things I’m learning from these women are remarkable.  Grace under pressure, kindness when everyone else is thinking of themselves, taking one step at a time, allowing themselves to get angry and cry and then wiping their eyes, sucking it up and getting back to work.  Life is tough but these superwomen are tougher and I am humbled to know them all.  To all of my women friends, those everyday superheroes, thank you for the lessons you are teaching me.