Women's History Month & International Women's Day: Celebrating the women in our family

March is Women's History Month, and today is International Women's Day. Instead of doing a whole long ode to all the fierce and fabulous women in my family tree (which I could do, easily, but it would take forever!), I thought I'd just share a quick thought about some of the wonderful women I call family...

Last weekend, many of the women nearest and dearest to me turned out for my surprise baby shower. Besides all the wonderful female friends and family who showed up and/or sent gifts, a great many of my female relatives (and my best friend, who I consider family! ;)) came together to throw the shower for me, just a great reminder of how lucky I am to have these women in my life (and in my tree!)

The shower really was a celebration of connected generations of women. My aunt gave me a christening blanket for my daughter made from the train of my mother's wedding dress. My (very nearly) 98-year-old grandmother, Mary Cronin Raynor, was able to come for awhile, which in and of itself would've been the best gift in and of itself, but the actual present she brought connected five generations of women on my mom's side of the family: a beautiful afghan knitted by my grandmother's mother, Ellen Casey Cronin. I can't wait to tell my daughter that her great-grandmother passed along to her a gift made by my daughter's great-great grandmother.

Afghan made by Ellen Casey Cronin (1892-1974)

So today and this whole month, don't just remember those famous women who inspire you and who you look up to; remember all those wonderful women in your own families who not only came before you, but who surround you even today!