Drawing by Cherie Azzopardi
Poem by John Dorsey
From the ashes she will rise and set forth to inspire.
Helping others grow as she hears their cries, she'll help them find their fire.
Seeking her own route, more will hear her song.
And together they'll move mountains, together they are strong.
Forever intertwined, her and those she helped.
Helping all to reach their goals so they can conquer the obstacles she also felt.
No longer will she cower no longer will she hide.
She must stand tall and proud, spread her wings and fly.
So she will jump into this river called life unlike most who only dip their toes.
And she will show the others what it means to grow.
She can't wait to plunge in and give the current a new stir.
She is everyone but above all else she is a Stronger Version of Her.
Amanda here. I am shocked by the response of ASVH. I am so lucky to have such great people in my life that are also excited to watch this project grow and that they can help with their talents & skills.
Blogging is hard for me. I have tried a Xanga, Tumblr, Travel blog and they have all failed. That being said, one of my 2017 resolutions was to push myself out of my comfort zone more. In January, I went live with A Stronger Version of Her. I was terrified that it wasn't ready and then I realized I was protecting myself from vulnerability keeping it from everybody. I was missing deadlines. Finally, I published and the responses were golden! You guys made my heart full and warm. Last month, I also bought a membership to a Bouldering Gym. The first time I went I spent a majority of the time staring at the wall and in between each climb I had to really focus on my breathing while calming myself down. Flash forward to the end of the night and more than two hours zoomed by. I left the gym feeling completely empowered that I pushed myself to even try it. A similar feeling was felt when I clicked publish on this website. We settle for comfortable, but change is good. I challenge you all to push yourself some way this week. It's worth it.
Please contact us if you would like to be a guest blogger! We would love to showcase your work.