Truth is, it was kind of a lousy day. I woke up at 5 a.m. ready to celebrate and blog about International Women’s Day. But I had emails to answer, followed by an early client meeting, a frustrating meeting at the office, a mini client crisis, and, I realized I was wearing navy tights with black boots and skirt. Fashion faux pas! So, during my commute home I told myself, “Dig deep. Find something positive to write about.” Turns out, it wasn’t hard. I have much to be thankful for today.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures” and I am most thankful for my daughter and the opportunity to raise another woman and hopefully inspire her future.

I am thankful she shows an aptitude for all things tech and that her father and brother encourage her to study and be smart. I am thankful she excels at second grade math and science and that she told me she wants to cure cancer someday. (She also wants to be Selena Gomez, but hey, sometimes I do too.) I am thankful for the Girl Scouts and the organization’s commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs.

I am thankful that when my daughter watches Selena Gomez on television we talk about media literacy and how the media portrays girls and I am thankful that her brother listens too. I am thankful they both understand that some of the actors on television are too thin and some of the story lines stereotype. I am thankful for the work of Jennifer Siebel Newsom and her documentary Miss Representation for helping me find the language to talk to my kids about media.

I am thankful my daughter plays sports and that her teammates are her closest friends. I am thankful they are fierce competitors on the field and they hug and braid each other’s hair on the sidelines. I am thankful for Honda and its sponsorship of the Broderick Cup which honors  college-level female athletes.

I am thankful my daughter sees me volunteer for political campaigns, and watch election returns on television and serve our community. I am grateful she knows who Secretary Hillary Clinton is, and Attorney General Martha Coakley, and that she can name at least two selectmen in our town. I am thankful for Senators Kristen Gillibrand and Barbara Mikulski and Congresswomen Jackie Speier and Rosa DeLauro for serving as leaders and role models.

I am thankful my daughter sees me go to work everyday and that even after a day like today, I remember to tell her I choose to work, not that I have to work. I am thankful she sees her father do laundry and make dinner and that she isn’t burdened by traditional gender roles. I am thankful for organizations like 3 Plus International and Moms Rising for the work they do to support working women, and their families.

I am thankful for all of the strong women in the world who are helping me inspire my daughter’s future. Happy International Women’s Day. Perhaps it was a good day after all.