As I mentioned yesterday, I said I would be meeting with Horizons 4 Girls, a nonprofit group in our area mentoring young girls helping them with family life, peer pressure and education expectations, guiding them with personalized assistance in help with their studies and life decisions.

We were an intimate group of three young ladies, as well as the staff of four. This time of year seems to be a challenge with the 14 girls in the group trying to keep up with studies and books needing to be read so it was discussed to possibly have me come back this summer to meet the other girls.

But I enjoyed meeting these three young ladies, who were all unique and beautiful in their own individual ways. It was fascinating to me to find myself sharing my story with them, as if looking in a mirror at my younger self. All the same challenges still exist today, as they did for me when I was becoming a young woman.

At times my heart ached for some of their challenges, such as peer pressure and worrying what others say about them or think about them, or how people perceive them.

Interestingly enough, I had just come from my class I’ve been taking part in the last nine weeks called, “Unwrapping your True Self.” As I talked with the girls, I shared with them that I am in this class right now, continuing to work on who I am and to stand strong in my belief’s. My advice to them as I thought about that is that we never truly arrive, but that we are all a work in progress.

I hope by showing myself as an example of a woman who still needs to pay attention to working on herself often, they will see that none of us are perfect. But if we are willing to keep looking for the light in our own soul, it will lead us down the right paths in our lives.

We discussed everything from body image, worrying what others think of our choices, writing, judgement, following your heart, to Gidget and her disc disease.

As I drove home I found myself admiring these young ladies for having the courage  to be a part of this program, to be there for the help and guidance that will help them be the best that they can be. And as is my wish for all women, my hope is for these young ladies to continue to find the courage to let their inner light shine. They inspired me to keep doing the same.