With International Women’s Day having just happened, the official day of honouring all the amazing women in your life may be over. But there is still cause to celebrate. There is cause to continue to keep at the forefront, all the gracious actions and selfless acts that women perform, and there is cause to connect with more women. Building community is about building connections and celebrating success, and that couldn’t be truer than here in Collingwood.

In our community, amazing, empowering women who are simply a part of our every day life constantly surround us.  And while we don’t necessarily take it for granted, we also don’t necessarily take the time to show them the gratitude that we feel towards them.  Whether it is our doctors, teachers or council members, or our fellow moms, sister, or neighbor, there is the need to celebrate women beyond one day of the year. And more than that to tell them that we celebrate them and appreciate them and are grateful for them. As a community, we always need to be working to come together to celebrate victories and share in overcoming obstacles. We must use the power of collaboration and connection to act as a catalyst for courage: to push forward the women who are stepping outside their comfort zone, the women who are living the daily grind keeping everything together, and the woman running the shop that she started herself.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a mom, a wife, neighbor, doctor or teacher, International Women’s day is a call for connection and a call for action. Being part of the Collingwood community is an honour and a privilege, and one, that as women, we need to uphold and take on with gratitude. We must remember the common goals that bring us together: to try new entrepreneurial endeavors, to follow our dreams, to break down barriers, and to reach success in our family, career and community.  Commit to extending this beyond simply one day, and think about women in your life and in the community who you are grateful for and share this with them – every day. Take the time to simply to show them, that in everything they do, they are not alone, but rather have a tribe of incredibly supportive women, believers, and fellow change makers who are standing behind them to push them on.

This year, celebrate another successful international women’s day, by committing to connecting with more women in your life and in the community who can bring you up and push you forward.  Go find your tribe.  As women we are strong, but as a community of women, we are strongest.  And this is true every day of the year