Author’s note: This article was inspired by the brilliant writer and poet, Janne Robinson, whose article “This Is For the Women Who Don’t Give A F*ck” stirred up a passion in me to be more like the women she describes…but instead made me realize I will always be the woman who cares a little too much. And I make no apologies for it.

Warning! Some f-bombs and other adult language sprinkled here and there. 

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This is for the women who passionately give a fuck.

The ones who care so much, they’re afraid to break the rules because they might suffer actual consequences. The women who think too much in a futile effort to make sense of everything going on in her world.

This is for all the women who allow themselves to fall head over heels without restraint. Who risk showing up vulnerably because protecting their hearts is the last thing on their minds when they’re in love.

The ones who can, at times, feel self-conscious when naked, fearing they will be judged or compared to other women who came before her. The women who fear you may think she’s a slut because she slept with you on the first date and enjoyed every minute of it.

The ones who will ask you what you need in bed because satisfying just ourselves is not enough.

This is for the women who follow their hearts and never their heads because our hearts rule everything.

The women who will give you a second chance because we believe in you and your ability to show up differently for us.

The ones who work relentlessly to show the world their strength, their compassion, and their strong sense of self. This is for the women who know their worth and won’t accept anything less than what they deserve. The ones who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, call you out, and walk away when they’ve had enough.

The ones who do it because they care so much, they want you to be better than you are in this moment.

This is for the women who are rock stars at their jobs because being a rock star is the only way they know how to do things.

The ones who bench press like a boss at the gym because being physically strong matters to them.

The women who always have your back and show up without fail because being a loyal, solid friend means everything to them. The women who sometimes put others before themselves because their need to nurture others far outweighs their need to nurture themselves.

The women who apologize for swearing, even though they mean every damn word of it.

The women who run non-profits, feed the homeless, and march for Women’s rights.

The women who worry that they’re screwing up their kids on a daily basis because they aren’t perfect.

The ones who stay up into the wee hours of the night building their businesses because giving up is not an option.

This is for the women who never talk shit about another women, because they believe we should stand united in empowering one another instead of tearing each other down.

For the women who work two jobs to be able to send their kids to college, or just to support their crazy dreams. Who say “yes” when they want to say “no” if they believe they can make a difference.

Who push their bodies past what they’ve been told are their limitations when they want something bad enough.

This is for the women who keep their hearts open even when they’ve been shattered. The women who believe in love so much, they pick themselves back up and are fearless in their vulnerability.

The women who teach, inspire, mentor, care for, serve, and heal those in need.

The ones who, at times, fall apart because they so passionately give a fuck about it all, and feel helpless when things don’t work out.

I stand beside all of these women, because although at times we may feel we are too soft and too sensitive, that caring so much can be our downfall instead of our strength, I’m here to declare that I think it’s the exact opposite.

We make a difference because of our unwavering dedication to being this kind of women. We passionately believe that it’s our softness, our empathy, and our vulnerability that manifest the big stuff in our lives.

So never stop caring too much. Never judge yourself for the times you gave 150 percent of yourself to someone or something that didn’t work out, and you got hurt. Quit trying to fit yourself into a box that you don’t belong in.

Be you. Unapologetically you. Soft yet fierce. Vulnerable yet strong. United with all the other bad-ass women in the world who can relate to you—and are inspired by you—because they see you for who you truly are. Because they are you.

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Author: Dina Strada

Image: Author’s Own

Editor: Catherine Monkman