Living Water by Lena Hoffman

“She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.” This is my verse for 2021 and I have been reflecting a lot through the first half of this year on what it means to be strong as a woman.

As women we don’t necessarily describe us as strong, or society doesn’t attribute strength to us as much as to men. In the lineup, I often find myself as the only woman especially on bigger days. Surfing does require a lot of strength and sometimes requires you to be tough especially when the waves get bigger. I grew up with two older brothers, so I’ve never felt uncomfortable being the only girl surrounded by guys. Growing up I often found myself being the only girl surrounded by my brothers and their friends. In addition, I never felt treated differently by my dad because I was a girl. I had to learn how to change a bike tire like my brothers, I helped changing our car’s tires, and learned how to safely change a light bulb. Because I never felt like I could not do something because I was a girl, I still don’t doubt my capability to do something that is attributed to be more of a guy thing. 

The other day, I was surfing and one of them groms paddled out with her dad. It was one of the biggest days I’ve seen out at that spot. It made me happy to see that her dad was like mine and when the big set wave rolled in, he told her to go showing he believed in her. 

I am grateful that I have been surrounded by friends in the last years that are girls who are strong and unafraid in bigger waves. Not only being surrounded by girls who make me feel less different by being strong, but also guys who like my dad don’t doubt I am capable or treat me differently because I am a “girl” but who encourage me to go on big waves and charge out in the water. People from Christian Surfers have been a part of that community. As a leader at the chapter in Cardiff, I want to be someone who encourages girls in the water to be courageous and strong and to be unafraid to be a Proverbs 31 woman, a woman who is clothed in strength.

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