Ladies, I was late to the game. Gotta be honest – I found girls annoying, confusing, conniving and not fun for most of my childhood. Things were looking up in there somewhere, and then I got burned a few times and reverted to my former perspective. By high school, I decided that guys were just way easier to have as friends and abandoned our gender almost entirely.

And then, I got to university. From my super girly roommate (looking at you Stace!) to sopranos who were actually quite fun (shocking!), I began to discover that women might be cooler than girls. And as I look around now, I’m astounded by the smart mouths, smarter minds, beautiful hearts and kickass commitment to being great and having a greater impact on the world around them. To all of you: the up and coming, distinguished community leaders, the quiet and strong, the ballsy and brash, the moms and “aunties” and the cat ladies, I salute you, I thank you, I love you and am grateful to you. Thanks for letting me enjoy you! And thanks for letting me rejoin the fold as we mature (and embrace our delightful immaturity).

I recognize our complexity, our efficiency and effectiveness, our fears and how we overcome them daily to be our best selves. You are my role models, heroes and comforters. Thank you. And go team!