By Denise Tuyisenge

During a brief hiatus from blogging, while I waited for the very exciting rebrand of Teakisi (the upgrade looks awesome, by the way) I grappled with ideas of what to write about for the new site. I meditated on the kinds of readers we have, ladies who are powerful and know it. Women who build upon the success of our predecessors, movers and shakers ready for the world. And, most importantly, women who uplift other women. “I Almost Laughed At Her” is an ode to women of all ages and sizes.

“I almost laughed at her, knowing too well that she couldn’t see me,
She of all people couldn’t afford to guffaw! She was a woman of high esteem.
Barely two days of knowing him, she invited him to her house,
‘Who could do that’ kept running in my mind, cause,
She seemed like someone I would know.”

It’s easy to judge someone for their life decisions without considering their circumstances, maybe we would be less critical if we did.

All my life I have met many charming, beautiful and strong women, oftentimes with unconventional ways of showing love and affection. Their intentions are misjudged, some times mistaken for malice or some other negative attribute. But believe me when I say that it is such a great joy if one woman believes in you. Imagine what can be done with that positive female energy? It’s incredible. When US politician Hillary Clinton ran for president, so many amazing stories were written about her by women. The support felt so original, so genuine. The love was real, without an ulterior motive in sight.

I am a fan of women living authentically, even in the face of being shunned by others. This is why I write for Teakisi. Our writers make it so great to be a woman, flaws and all. I look at the women in my life and think of how compassionate I am towards them. I’m learning how to give that same compassion to women I barely know, women I almost laughed at throughout the years. It’s time for me, for all of us, to stop judging other women and cast away meaningless stereotypes. At the end of the day, what matters most is mindfulness and the way we treat others.

Let us know below how you will be more mindful to other women in your life. Let’s be better, shall we?