Empower--- one of my least favorite words---is the key word in the mission of Maria Shriver's annual Women's Conference, held this week in Long Beach:We Empower Women to be Architects of Change.
With all due respect---and new respect for what California's First Lady accomplished at this conference----I thought the Women's Conference was powerful, but it wasn't about empowering.
Possibly that's due to where I stand--part of the pioneer generation of women who look back at where we were and sees today's women already empowered. For me, the Women's Conference and the times represent another significant change that also begins with "em:" less about empowerment and more about emotion.
It started, appropriately enough, with Eve. Not the biblical Eve, but with Eve Ensler. The woman who made it popular to carry on monologues about vaginas is moving up....geographically speaking....to our hearts.
Her own emotion passion rocked and roiled the Long Beach Convention Center like a tsunami as she read from her upcoming book: I Am An EMOTIONAL Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World.
I thought this might be the emotional high point of the day, but the emotions were just getting started. If Eve was a hurricane, other speakers were the storm surge in a day filled with emotional, memorable moments. There was Somaly Mam's saga of her life of slavery in the brothels of Cambodia, then her return to help thousands of others escape. Katie Couric's successful story of resilience, both professional and personal, told with honesty and humor.
I thought about all the times I've heard women say, "I'm an emotional mess," when I heard ABC anchor Robin Roberts repeat her mother's mantra: "Make your mess your message." (Maybe a slogan for future conferences.)
And the waves of emotion continued, peaking during the session on Grief, Healing and Resilience.
There is no more indelible and undeniable part of the human experience than grief, loss and suffering. Nothing is more painful; nothing is more private. So quite possibly nothing is more profound than four amazingly brave women who open their hearts, take their most private emotions and express them in public. This conversation was a symbolic, powerful gesture that will resound and ripple into countless other lives, effectively multiplying the emotional impact as others take in the emotions, share them and learn by example. All around me, women sat stunned and sobbing in their seats, listening to four remarkable women:
Lisa Niemi, widow of Patrick Swayze, making her first public appearance since his death two months ago.
Susan Saint James-- --so real, so raw, so authentic, so open about the loss of her 14-year-old son Teddy.
Elizabeth Edwards, who has lived several versions of every woman's nightmare .... and is still standing strong.
Maria Shriver--embodiment of everything powerful; yet, in her own words, "brought to her knees" by an event that is a natural and inevitable part of life, the loss of her mother.
Maria's comments about her mother as her touchstone were echoed later by Jane Goodall, the essence of elegance and eloquence. Her emotional words of gentle grace and quiet dignity, mixed with her amazing rendition of simian sound, sent us on our way, taking our emotions home with us as we re-entered our own lives.
After being immersed and inspired by incredible stories, the take-home message of this enormous energetic coming together is something we can all see, reinforced every day in ourselves and in the other women around us:
Instead of our emotions as a source of weakness, our emotions are a source of our strength.
To me, the power of this conference and the power of women as individuals and as a group came from embracing those emotions. By letting our emotions rule us in a positive way and by harnessing our emotions to change our lives, we can change the world.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.