It may be cheesy to start this way, but happy International Women’s Day. Suffice it to say, we deserve more than one day a year and we should celebrate each other every day, not just on March 8th, or on Wednesdays.

Women are amazing. For those of us born as women and for those of us that chose to be women, we live in such a fearless manner that men have no other choice but to be in awe of us. We are wonderful, we are fierce, we are wild, we are brave, and we are strong. So strong, in fact, that we all must be born from a woman.

But let’s face it, it can be hard being a woman sometimes. With our rights being constantly under fire (reproductive rights, equal pay, gender equality) we are constantly having to assert our feminism, and people dare to say we are too much. You are never too much when your local/state/federal governments aren’t doing enough for you. You are never too much when you keep hitting the glass ceiling and feeling like you’re not adding any cracks.

So when you men ask us how you can help keep these things in mind: Don’t think that we’re angry because of our periods, some of us are mothers, professionals, students, activists, etc. with a lot on our plate and every once in a while we get angry. Please don’t explain something to us unless we ask. “Mansplaining” is probably one of the most aggravating things a woman has to sit through, we are made to feel stupid for something we know an equal amount or more about. Defend us. This one may seem contradictory, because you may think, well, you want equal rights so you have to stand up and fight like one, well we do. But sadly, we don’t always get taken seriously, and sometimes when a man intervenes it helps us get the job done. We don’t want to be damsels in distress, but will appreciate the men who see us struggle and help us anyway. Lastly, if you don’t have a need to defend us, stand with us. March with us. Advocate for our rights and show the world that women aren’t crazy to want very basic, bare minimum rights.

To my ladies, I love you all, even if I don’t know you. You all are my sisters in something that is so much bigger than us all. Thank you for being courageous, for being delicate, for being firm. It is the delicacy in which we conduct ourselves on a day to day basis that I find absolutely awe inspiring.

I have to say Elizabeth Warren left me very inspired over the course of the last few months and recently in the last few days with her dropping out of the presidential race, so a very special message for International Women’s Day goes to her. Thank you for being a woman, for being angry about injustice. Thank you for advocating for the disenfranchised. Thank you for being a prepared, smart, witty, and outspoken and making that okay. I’m sorry our country wasn’t ready for you yet. I hope one day they can be ready for you or another woman soon.

Thank you all for being my #WCE.