When someone is asked to describe themselve in one word, they may find it difficult to choose an appropriate word. Some may say that it is impossible to find one word that best describes them because there are many different aspects to their personalities. Others may refer to the Jahari window; claiming that to describe oneself is impossible because their view of themselve may differ from that of others. Still others refer to incongruence; choosing not to describe themselve at all because their extreme low self esteem or extreme high self-esteem make it difficult to find the correct word. Like many of these individuals, I cannot limit a description of myself to simply one word. However, if I were required to choose one word that best describes me I would choose the word resilient. The definition of resilient in Webster’s dictionary refers to someone marked by the ability to, “recover readily; as from misfortune.” When I apply this word to myself, the definition remains the same; however, the word misfortune would be eliminated. I would then replace it with the words daughter, mother, and woman because these words best describe who I am.

When most people think of a daughter they think of one’s female child, and/or female descendant; having both a father and/or mother to guide, protect, and nurture her. However, whenever someone refers to the word daughter I think of a female who has the most supportive parent of all, God the Father. To start with, I am the daughter of the most powerful being in the universe. No king, queen, patriarch, prophet or president could ever accomplish the things that my Father has. He called the entire universe into existence by speaking a few words, created the world in only six days, and created man and woman in a mere few hours. What’s more, my Father is the one person I can truly trust to tell my deepest and darkest secrets, dreams, and aspirations. I know whatever I have discussed with Him in private will never be revealed. Finally, I know that my Father will never be too far away to comfort, guide, or protect me. Whenever I am in trouble, have doubts, or need Him to comfort me, I know all I have to do is call upon him and he will fulfill his role, which is to provide tenderness, compassion, cooperation, love and sometimes even discipline. As his daughter I am and always will be under his divine protection.

Furthermore, I am a mother and as a mother I am required to be a role model, caregiver, and confidante. As a role model, it is my responsibility to ensure that my behavior is above reproach. By observing my behavioral patterns my child will emulate my behavior and follow rules, grow up to have good levels of self-esteem, and have a strong personal ethical code. In addition, as a mother I am also responsible for my child’s development and achievement. I must find ways to prevent undesirable behavior in my child while encouraging traits that I want developed. I am responsible for demonstrating genuine nurturing concern for the welfare of my child. This includes having the ability to recognize my child needs while providing the basic essentials of food, clothing, and shelter. Finally, as a confidant I am required to learn interpersonal dynamics, which allows me to be a better person: more caring, empathetic, and honest with my child. It is also essential that I become an excellent listener, have the ability to understand my child and react appropriately, and develop a keen sense of what motivates my child most of the time.

Finally, I am also a woman and as such I am confident, dependable, and goal oriented. My confidence enables me to believe in myself, and what I perceive to be right or wrong. With this confidence I have become an independent person who is usually able to handle things in a self sufficient manner. Being confident has also allowed me to be generous with my belongings and to see work as an extension of my social life. Furthermore, as a woman I am dependable. This means I have the ability to recognize what other people need and my friendly, helpful, and social nature makes them feel comforted. Being dependable has also allowed me to be outward with my emotions, and open and sensitive regarding how others view me. Finally, as a woman I am goal oriented. I recognize past mistakes and have accepted and learned from them. This allows me to embrace the future without reservations. Being goal oriented also allows me to embrace challenges and follow through on difficult demands.

I understand the incapability of describing oneself in a single word because I suffer from this inability myself. Therefore, I can only conclude that being a daughter, mother, and woman are the words that can be used to describe me. As the daughter of the most powerful being in the universe, my father has set many standards that has helped to mold and shape my character; thereby influencing who I am today. I recognize that as the daughter of the most powerful being I never have to settle for anything less than I deserve. Furthermore, as a mother I am responsible for loving, nurturing, and educating my child. I also acknowledge that my child has to live up to my father standards and  it is my responsibility as his mother to educate him regarding our father’s expectation: which is to love and obey him. Finally, as a woman I recognize that I play a significant role in the life of my family and friends. I offer stability, security, and love, while continuing to improve as an individual. I recognize that life is a learning process and as I take steps towards my future I will continue to learn and grow.