Mistaken Identity

Identity often comes with layers of expectation, especially for women. It comes in a package of what we are told to be, how we are told to look, the roles we are told to play, and where our limits lie.

Yet, the deeper truth is that no government, no system, and no stereotype have the authority to define the whole of who we are. But those limits are illusions. They were never meant to contain the greatness within us.

We are creators, leaders, nurturers, innovators, fighters, and so much more. We are the daughters of resilience and the mothers of change. Our worth cannot be measured by numbers or confined to categories.

With every challenge we face and overcome, we shape who we are becoming. With every dream we dare to pursue, we expand the boundaries of possibility. With every moment we choose courage over fear, we write a new line in the story.

When a baby is birthed, official identity begins with documentation created by the government. The birth certificate serves as a foundational record displaying a unique birth record number and key details such as parents' names, your name, date, and place of birth. Shortly after birth, children are assigned a Social Security Number. This number is used to track earnings, taxes, and access to government services throughout life.

These identifiers together establish a person’s legal existence and provide a framework for recognition within society. These details are important, but we are more than the documents that get filed away!

True identity cannot be reduced to numbers on a page or documents in a file. Identity is living, breathing, and evolving. It is shaped by the families and communities we come from, the values we adopt, and the strength we discover within ourselves. It is rewritten every time we overcome an obstacle, every time we refuse to be silenced, and every time we claim our power in spaces once denied.