As I scoured the pages of the book, I'm drawn by one single young leader.

 

In preschool she could be found with her arm around a crying girl afraid of the firefighter who visited the school to share lessons about danger.

 

By third grade she speaks up when she sees a friend who is too scared to defend herself from a controlling girl who was preventing her from playing with a new friend.  She encouraged her friend to own herself and spread her wings.  She shows empathy toward the controlling girl by reminding her about true friendship and that she has other kids on the play ground ready to play.

 

She sees a girl is down from being bullied at school so she builds her up at the next Girl Scout meeting by telling her fellow Girl Scouts that the girl just won the championship at the latest Cheer competition.

 

She speaks up when her friend keeps teasing her about a past mistake she made and kindly tells her it hurts her feeling and asks if she can stop.  Her friend responds kindly and says she's sorry and will stop before they run together to tackle the monkey bars, closer now than a moment ago.

 

I didn't need to look any further than my Lenna to share a story for Women's History Month this year.  Lenna at age 8 is already leaving a mark in society through perseverance, courage and empathy.  Raising her and watching her be a young leader has been my greatest accomplishment and I cannot wait to see her in the history books.