Girl Power Digest

On Mother's Day, we set aside time to recognize moms and the unique and invaluable impact they have on their families and on the world. As I reflect on this time of recognition, I find myself squirming a bit. I know my job as a mom is important. I know it's hard. I know it is joyous and demanding and sometimes thankless and beautiful and gut-wrenching and rewarding and rip-your-heart-out-painful and, and, and. It's just what we do, right? Is Mother's Day really necessary? Lord knows we aren't in it for the glory or you would have lost me at potty-training. But, yes, I do believe it is so very necessary. In a culture that often devalues the roles of the feminine, it is so vital to have a day set aside to honor one of the most crucial roles on the planet - that of Mother.  

There is enormous value in husbands and fathers and sons and daughters and the collective family taking a beat to say "thank you" to mothers; to name and acknowledge the foundational support mothers lend to their nuclear homes, which contributes to the foundation that holds us all up on a larger scale. Mothers, in addition to the thankless tasks and the grind of the everyday, fight tirelessly for and ultimately make possible the dreams of their beloveds. This gift is one that can never be measured.

Michael Jordan said, “My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on."

In addition to it being so important for others to recognize mothers, it is also vital that mothers allow for this recognition. I find myself falling into, "it's just my job" and scoffing at the notion that I need praise or recognition. This attitude, though, ultimately robs me of the joy of experiencing my worth. As girls, we are taught by society to be giving and loving and self-sacrificing, but without self-worth, that well will ultimately run dry. Standing tall and owning the sacrifice, as well as the privilege of motherhood better equips us to keep on keepin' on. We have to allow our tanks to be filled, our cups to overflow. As a dear friend recently reminded me, we have to give ourselves a little credit. We certainly hold our share of the burden. So this Mother's Day, Four Girls wishes you a day of love, peace, family and a day where you give yourself the credit you so richly deserve. Here's to many more days of the same.  

standing mama strong,

melissa

To purchase your new favorite t-shirt and join the mission, click here. 

My husband is a feminist. My sons are feminists. The Four Girls movement isn't one that is unique to the female population. The ideals of feminism are universal and the men of this household proudly subscribe. The archetypal Feminine is sadly often devalued and grossly unappreciated in our culture and in many others. But, what does that really mean for the individual, male or female? There are many ways to express your own definition of feminism. Everyone is affected by the patriarchal system that still has much power in our country and in the world. In former days, feminists were stereotyped as bra-burning, tough-talking radicals. Now, we know feminism can take on many different forms, as unique as each individual brandishing it.  

Feminists can be soft-spoken men, brazen women, proud young girls, informed young men - there is no recipe, no right or wrong way to live your truth and act out against the injustices still at play against the feminine. To me, being a feminist means teaching my sons to respect women and to do all they can to promote equality, understanding that while many things remain unequal in this world, that women are innately equal and worthy. It means raising my girls to believe in themselves and to treat each other, other women and men with respect. It means setting an example for my children by peacefully, yet unapologetically, standing up for my rights and the rights of others. At Four Girls, offering a wide variety of T-shirts is based in our desire to give every person a vehicle to share their own expression of girl power with the world. What does feminism mean to you?   

“If you have yet to be called an incorrigible, defiant woman,
don't worry, there is still time”
― Clarissa Pinkola Estés

proudly incorrigible,

melissa

To purchase your new favorite t-shirt and join the mission, click here. 

Guest blog post by Sophia Tabasso, 9-years-old:

I love my t-shirt. It says thank you Rosa Parks. I look up to her in a great way. She stood up for herself and for others and she did it not in an obnoxious way, but in a firm and peaceful way. I want to be like that.  She stood up for what she believed. I want to do that, too. She believed that black people should be allowed to sit in the front of the bus with white people. Her story was that she was on the bus and there were no more seats in the back of the bus, so she sat in the front. Then a white man came on and asked her to move but she said no.  Actually she said "nah".  He called the police and she got arrested but that didn’t stop her from chasing her dreams and standing up for herself and for others.  She was a great woman and a good example for me and for all people. 

Thinking about Rosa Parks makes me think maybe I can be brave, too.  Maybe I can stand up when things are not right. That's why I love my Rosa Parks t-shirt.  

-sophia

Click Here to purchase your new favorite t-shirt and join the mission.

Why is the Four Girls logo on the shoulder of all of the tees? 

It isn't an accident!  Placing our logo on the shoulder of every tee is our way of reminding you that as you proudly wear and live your truth, Four Girls has your back. We support you.  We commend you.  We stand with you.  It is our hope at Four Girls to represent a larger community aligned to peacefully and unapologetically promote feminine equality and power.  Putting our logo on the back of the tees is our way of encouraging you to be brave and courageous in expressing your unique strength and owning your innate potential, knowing you are "backed" by a host of other strong individuals doing the same.   

There are so many different ways to express your truth and spread girl-power and it is important to us that every person can find a Four Girls t-shirt that reflects their personal message.

Whether your expression of feminine power is having Grit for Days, or saying Thank You Rosa Parks and all those who have blazed the trail before us, or being the Hero of your Own Story, or being able to Run the Room, or not being afraid to Disrupt the Norm, or knowing you are Mama Strong, or being a Force to be Reckoned With, or having someone say of you, "Nevertheless, She Persisted," or knowing that Smart Girls Build, or being proud of the girl in your life who's Got Grit, or having a little one in your life that demands Equal Pay and Needs More Cookies or walking with your Shoulders Back and your Head Up, inspiring others to do the same, or ALL OF THE ABOVE, Four Girls has you covered and always has your back.    

got your back,

melissa 

Click Here to purchase your new favorite t-shirt and join the mission.

The Story Behind Four Girls Co-Founders

Webster defines sim·pa·ti·co as "having shared attributes or interests; compatible; being on the same wavelength."  From the first time Meghan and I met, simpatico was front and center.  We tease each other that we instantly became giddy school-girls all over again.  Remember that pure kind of connection you had as young girls playing hop-scotch, jump-rope and kick-the-can?  You know, before the "mean girls" dynamic took over?  That is how it felt meeting, but as women in our (a-hem) late thirties. We saw each other without masks and defenses and pretenses.  I know, I know...epic gift.

Four Girls is an expression of the profound confidence we have in the universal feminine constitution.  We are convinced that when we push forward in love and in hope, there is nothing we can't accomplish.  Sure, there are hurdles (I had huge ones to overcome to find the courage make the leap into this new business venture), but there is also so much opportunity, and so much room.  Four Girls is living proof.  

shoulders back and head up,

melissa