March is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather actually starts trying to figure itself out, there is an entire day dedicated to pie (or pi, depending on whether you are a mathematician or allergic to math like I am), and the sweet release of summer is even closer.

And of course, the most important thing that sets March apart from the rest of the year is that it is Women’s History Month. For me, there is nothing better than 31 days dedicated to celebrating all of the remarkable women from the past who have made it possible for me to be who I am and where I am today. I pay homage to these women of the past, the women of my present and the woman I want to be in the future every day, but in March, it feels like we all are truly together in this celebration.

Even moreso, this month-long celebration is a crucial reminder—one that gets me through the rest of the year and until the next March when I need my female energy to be rejuvenated by this historical month.

It is the reminder that I do not need to apologize for who I am, especially as a woman.

While we are making huge strides as a society, there are still expectations society has in place for women to meet to be “feminine” and “ladylike” in order to find where we “belong” in the world. These expectations often lead us to believe we are “too much” in some ways: too loud, too outspoken, too forward, too honest, too demanding, too bitchy, too emotional. And in other ways, these expectations can also make us feel like we are “not enough”: not girly enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not good enough, not capable enough, not ready enough.

If there is one thing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Malala Yousafzai, Maya Angelou and hundreds of other remarkable women have taught us, it’s that you are never “too much” or “not enough.” You are your own person, your own woman with the power to be remarkable. And that is something you never have to apologize for. It is something to embrace and show off to the world through fearless acts and captivating words.

All of us ladies bring our own definitions of the word “woman” that is entirely our own to explore and establish. How you choose to define this word is a catalyst for you to be remarkable and change expectations, paving the way for another woman to do the same thing in her own way in the future.

Channel the remarkable women who inspire you, whether they are in your history books or your phone books. Stop apologizing or letting others tell you that you are being “too much” or “not enough.”

Happy Women’s History Month—celebrate what makes you a woman and a badass who is remarkable today and every day.

Carole Hodorowicz is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or cdhodorowicz@eiu.edu.