Honoring the Day of the Girl
October 11 is the International Day of the Girl Child, a day set aside to honor the rights, potential, and dreams of girls everywhere. When I think about this day through the lens of gratitude, my heart swells. It is a day to recognize not only the challenges many girls face around the world, but also their boundless capacity for joy, creativity, and resilience.
I give thanks for the girls in my life – for my daughter and granddaughter, fairy Goddaughters, niece, students, colleagues, and friends. Each carries a spark of hope for the future, and each reminds me of the importance of nurturing that spark.
The Gift of Mentorship
One of the greatest ways we can show gratitude for girls is by mentoring them, by offering encouragement, listening to their dreams, and showing them what is possible. Gratitude is not just a feeling; it is an action. When we say, “I believe in you,” we plant seeds that may grow for a lifetime.
I am currently mentoring two young women. One is a very brainy engineer who has just become a VP of Engineering. What a joy to have walked with her over the past four years as she has built her skills and reached the next level up in her career. The other is a brand-new college graduate with a degree in marketing. In a tough job market she has carved her way into two exciting jobs – yes an over achiever – and is at the beginning of an exciting career. My contribution – I am their #1 cheer leader.
I am very grateful for the women who mentored me when I was young, and for the opportunities I now have to support younger women and girls. It is a beautiful circle of giving and receiving, made stronger by gratitude.
Gratitude for Resilience
Girls often face obstacles, including cultural expectations, limited opportunities, or messages that underestimate their worth. Yet time and again, I see girls rise with resilience. I think of the laughter of young girls playing together, the determination in their studies, the creativity in their art and play. Gratitude invites me to celebrate their resilience, to notice the beauty of their spirit even in adversity.
Remembering Our Own Girlhood
Gratitude also invites us to look back at our own girlhoods. What did we dream of? What made us laugh until our sides hurt? Who encouraged us? Remembering those early years allows us to carry forward compassion, for the girls we once were, and for the girls we see today.
For me, looking back at my own girlhood fills me with both tenderness and strength. I am grateful for the curiosity and wonder that lived in me then, and still lives in me now. I have adopted Michelangelo’s motto “Ancora Imparo” – I am still learning.
A Global Perspective
This day also widens our perspective. Girls around the world do not all share the same opportunities. Some are denied education, freedom, or safety. Gratitude here takes on a deeper tone. It calls us not only to appreciate the opportunities available, but also to extend compassion and action to support equality for all girls. Gratitude becomes fuel for advocacy, reminding us that when girls thrive, communities and nations thrive too.
Gratitude for Possibility
Above all, I am grateful for the sheer possibility embodied in every girl. Each girl is a dreamer, an artist, a leader, a scientist, a teacher, a friend. Gratitude helps us see not just who they are now, but who they can become. And when we look at them with grateful eyes, we become part of their journey.
On this International Day of the Girl Child, I pause to be grateful: for the girls who fill our lives with laughter and hope, for the women who once were girls and carry their resilience forward, and for the possibility that blooms when girls are supported and loved.
Gratitude makes us witnesses to their beauty and participants in their dreams. May we celebrate every girl, today and always.