Women are awesome. I’m not just saying that because I’m a woman; it happens to be true.

Without women, where would our culture be? Really. We women bring new life into the world, through an often very painful and long process, and then we give that new life comfort, love, security, and all the makings for a great human being.

We care. We are natural caregivers, often putting our family above ourselves – taking care of our children, our elderly parents, our friends. In fact, women are the ones who provide most of the informal care, and that encompasses many roles, including health provider, care manager, friend, companion, decision-maker and advocate.

We’ve overcome adversity to give ourselves an equal place in a world among men as we continue to nurture, and we’re getting stronger all the time.

As we celebrate women this month, here’s a list of notable women caregivers and their accomplishments:

• Hillary Clinton – First women to be elected to the US Senate from New York, advocate for caregivers, and caregiver to her elderly mother
• Leeza Gibbons – TV personality and caregiver to mother and grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease
• Nancy Reagan – First lady, passionate advocate for Alzheimer’s disease awareness, and caregiver to her husband with Alzheimer’s disease
• Elizabeth Branwell – Aunt of literary icons Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, selfless caregiver to family members
• Rosalynn Carter – First lady, one of the pioneers of the caregiving movement, and caregiver to both parents and several ill family members

Now just think – what could you do?