Your Story | Our Strength

The Queen Monologue is a cornerstone of the Inspiring Women virtual community. It serves as a powerful concluding segment for every meeting, designed to foster a safe and supportive space for storytelling.

A "Takeover" Moment: At the end of each session, one woman is given the floor to share her personal story, "claiming the mic" to speak her truth with vulnerability and authenticity. Empowerment Through Sharing: The initiative is built on the motto "Your Story | Our Strength," emphasizing that sharing individual experiences—including challenges, triumphs, and defining life moments—strengthens the entire collective. The next "Queen Monologue" could be yours!

 

Queen Monologue Contest

Raffle Drawing will Determine the Winner!

(winner will be announced at our July meeting on 28 July)

The next contest winner will be announced on July 28 for a *HYBRID meeting at Queen Dorothy's home. Members of Inspiring Women will have the opportunity to gain one raffle ticket per engagement on the Inspiring Women website or pay $1 via Zelle or CashApp for each Raffle Ticket. Below is a list of engaging activities that will help you increase your number of raffle tickets. 

As you attempt to increase your chances of winning, please reflect on the volunteer efforts and contributions you can submit on the Inspiring Women website. Examples include:

  1. Have you served as an emcee for any of our meetings?
  2. Have you submitted any “Share Your Story” entries?
  3. Have you submitted any “Queen Monologue” stories or volunteered to share one at the end of a meeting?
  4. Do you regularly attend our bi-monthly meetings and engage with the group?
  5. Have you referred another woman to join and enjoy our group?
  6. Have you submitted any inspiring quotes to encourage and uplift the group?
  7. Look at the big picture on your engagement with Inspiring Women; along with your everyday activities and actions, have you done one or many good deeds for others? If so, be sure to send it to us with a "share your story" entry. 

Our Queen Monologue Winner Will Receive $50 Cash

Previous Winner of the "Queen Monologue Spotlight!"

Sheebah Smith

This winner was announced on May 7, 2026

The Essence of a Queen: Sheebah is a lifelong source of unwavering strength and wisdom. She embodies the mission "Your Story | Our Strength" by creating safe spaces and strengthening others through intentional action.

Impact & Leadership:

  • Mentor & Educator: Dedicated to shaping the character of the next generation. She actively mentors students at Bowie State University, connects with new inductees at her alma mater Towson University, and guides young women through her church.

  • Community Visionary: During the 2020 pandemic, Sheebah founded the marketing team at Church of the Harvest, transforming digital spaces into beacons of hope and connection.

  • Selfless Servant: A cornerstone of local outreach, she helps assemble over 200 care packages annually for homeless and nursing home communities.

  • Multifaceted Leader: Serves on the Praise and Worship team, the virtual ministry, and acts as the Co-Chair of the Women’s Retreat, fostering an environment of healing and sisterhood.

Why She Reigns: Sheebah Smith is a living testimony. Through her mentorship and deep empathy, she empowers women and youth to find their voices and embrace their journeys. She doesn't just share a story—she builds a legacy of strength.


What the "Queen Monologue" Means to Us...

Your Story is Your Power! The Queen Monologues are the heartbeat of our community. This isn’t just a presentation; it’s a takeover. We close every meeting with one woman, her heart on her sleeve, and a story that demands to be told. We’re looking for a fresh perspective for our next session.

Claim your crown. Claim the mic. The next "Queen Monologue" belongs to you.


The Power of the Queen Monologue

"I had a sudden death in my family..." "I can barely manage..." "I experienced a horrible breakup..." "Gas is way too high..." "Food is way too expensive..." "Some days, I just feel like giving up..."

But then, there are other days:

"I recently found love again!" "I received an award at my job!" "I took a vacation out of the country!" "I started a new business venture!" "I'm living my best life...!"

I’m throwing these phrases out because I truly believe in the power of connecting with other women. I get that many of us don't want to reveal too much of ourselves—I completely understand that. But for the situations you are willing to share, I want to offer this Inspiring Women platform to do just that.

Our Focus: Connections

My monologue today is simply about Connections.

I truly believe that by connecting with other women, we can strengthen each other, build each other up, and help each other grow. With your permission, I’d like to invite every woman on this screen tonight to connect, engage, enhance, and empower the beautiful Queens we see around us.

As we open our hearts, let us listen to these stories with empathy and compassion. Let’s make this a space that provides not just physical safety, but psychological safety. To ensure that, our group honors a few essential, unspoken rules:

  • Confidentiality: What happens in this room stays in this room. This allows us to share vulnerable stories about our health, career setbacks, or personal struggles without fear, judgment, or gossip.

  • Zero Feedback is Okay: We take time to "just listen" without the immediate pressure to fix a situation. Simply being heard, or receiving a knowing nod that says "I get it," can be more healing than any advice we could ever offer.

  • Inclusivity: By welcoming women from all walks of life—entrepreneurs, mothers, retirees, and creatives—we ensure that no one ever feels like an outsider.

How to Share Your Journey

Lastly, I want to invite you all to visit the "Share Your Story" section of our website.

Perhaps you have a friend or a colleague at work who is going through a difficult season. They might not have the time to sit through a full Zoom meeting, but if you ask them if it's okay to get feedback from our community, we can help. Their identity will remain completely anonymous, and I will personally send them the feedback and support our group discusses. We can’t always fix the problem, but we can always offer a new perspective that might help.

And if you yourself are dealing with a situation, know that our site is fully set up to protect your privacy. You can submit your stories anonymously, and remember—what is shared here stays here.

Our Inspiring Women can't wait to connect and grow closer and stronger. Submissions can be made directly on our website using the Share Your Story or, right here, on the Queen Monologue Page.

Thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing your story! - Queen Victoria

April 21, 2026

Story by: Queen Tenise Edwards

Title: 39 Rings of Grace

Good evening, Queens.

This past Saturday, I turned 39.

Thirty-nine… a number that has whispered to me for years, because 39 was also the age my mother reached—just two months before she left this earth. She left behind two daughters: one 19 and one 11. I was the 11-year-old.

When you lose your mother that young, you don’t just lose a person; you lose a reference point. You lose the voice you imagine hearing in life’s defining moments and the embrace you expect to find when life feels heavy. Loss like that leaves questions that echo, milestones that feel tender, and a space that no title, accomplishment, or relationship can fully replace.

For years, I wondered what it would feel like to stand at this age—an age she never had the opportunity to grow beyond. But this weekend, I was reminded of Isaiah 61:3: that God gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise instead of despair.

Because while I lost my mother, I was never left without mothering. God, in His wisdom, surrounded me with women who carried pieces of what I needed until I could carry it for myself.

  • My grandmother, now 91 years strong; a woman who endured the unthinkable loss of three of her six children, including my mother, yet still wrapped me in love, discipline, and quiet strength.
  • My aunt, who stepped in with courage and wisdom, ensuring that even in loss, I was protected and provided for.
  • An afterschool counselor with no biological children of her own, who chose to call me her goddaughter and became a steady presence when life felt uncertain.
  • A former supervisor turned dear friend, who saw promise in me when my confidence was still forming and extended grace when my resources did not match the environments I was navigating.
  • An executive leader, someone I once struggled to understand, who now speaks my name in rooms I have not yet entered.
  • Women in ministry, facilitators, and accountability partners, who remind me that healing multiplies in community and strength grows in sisterhood.
  • And the many women—friends, co-workers, aunts, and cousins—who stood in the gap for either a reason or a season, offering wisdom, encouragement, protection, and presence exactly when it was needed.

Each woman is a thread. Each moment is a stitch. Together, they form a covering I did not know I was being wrapped in. Like the rings of a tree, each year of life forms another layer, shaped by seasons of growth, stretching, pruning, and endurance.

Thirty-nine rings. Thirty-nine reminders. Thirty-nine years of being kept, carried, and called forward.

Today, I stand 39 years old: a wife, a mother to two beautiful children (ages 6 and 16), a professional, a disciple, and a woman still becoming.

My foundation is rooted in faith and obedience. My purpose is to encourage, equip, and uplift others through wisdom shaped by both joy and adversity. My mission is to live authentically, lead courageously, and create spaces where others feel seen, supported, and strengthened. My ministry is to offer my life as evidence that even in loss, God restores, God provides, and God surrounds us with exactly who we need, when we need them.

In this season of my life, I am being strengthened through pressure and refined for greater purpose. I am not defined by what I lost; I am strengthened by what I have been given.

Thirty-nine rings of grace.

May 7, 2026

Story by: Queen Sherry Dorsey

Dedication: Queens Mother’s Day Message

Love in its Purest Form

Mother’s Day is more than a celebration of biology—it is a celebration of love in its purest, most selfless form.

To the women who have carried life, nurtured life, guided life—your hands reflect the very heart of God. Your love is a living testimony of grace, patience, and sacrifice.

To those who mother children they did not birth—through adoption, mentorship, teaching, or simply showing up with unwavering love— you embody the truth that motherhood is not defined by blood, but by the spirit of compassion God places within you.

To those whose mothers now rest in Heaven—may you feel God’s gentle embrace today. The love your mother gave you was never meant to end; it lives on in who you are, in the kindness you show, and in the strength you carry. “Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28).

And to those who carry quiet aches today—those longing to be mothers, those grieving, those remembering—know that God sees every tear and holds every hope. His love meets you right where you are.

Motherhood, in all its forms, is a reflection of divine love—patient, enduring, and full of grace. Today, we honor every woman who nurtures, uplifts, and loves like Him.

Happy Mother’s Day!

References:

- Text generated by ChatGPT, May 4, 2026, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com.

- Inspired by Proverbs 31:28–31

May 21, 2026

Story by: Queen Victoria T.

Title: The Magnificent Truth

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I met an amazing woman the other day.

Why was she so amazing? She looked at me—a total stranger—and simply said, "I don't know you, but I just want to let you know: you are magnificent."

Perplexed, I retorted, "What makes me so magnificent?"

She didn't miss a beat. "Well, I don't know your story, but I’m guessing you’ve been through some struggles, some challenges, and some heartaches in your life... am I right?"

I chuckled and looked down, staring at the ground for a moment. I thought about the hurdles I’ve cleared and the heartaches I’ve carried. When I looked back up at her, I asked, "Wait—how did you know that?"

"Because you’re a woman," she said. "As women, I believe we all face those scenarios. Yet, here we are, still standing. And for the ones who aren't standing yet? We hope they find their way through, because that is simply what women do."

We began to talk about the things that make women so unique, so fierce, and so magnificent. We spoke about how we are the givers of life and possess an elastic resilience—the proven ability to bend without breaking and to rebuild even stronger after a storm.

We discussed our high emotional intelligence. It’s more than just "feelings"; it is a high-level skill in empathy and intuition that allows for sophisticated communication and the ability to build bridges where others see only walls.

We agreed that women are the "social glue." We possess the vision to create community and interconnectedness, always seeing the value in the collective and ensuring no one is left behind.

Then there is our intuitive adaptability—that mental agility required to manage the "mental load." It’s a massive capacity for real-time problem solving. Whether you’re at home or leading a team at work, women are often the first to see the solution and map out the plan from start to finish. We’re damn good at it!

Finally, we talked about that "lioness energy." Whether it’s for our children, our businesses, or social justice, a woman is fierce in what she believes in.

Before we went our separate ways, we both agreed: all women are magnificent, all women are fierce, and all women rule their world in their own special way. I never got her name, and she never got mine, but there was a profound mutual respect. We recognized that we both possessed the one quality all women share.

Can you guess what it is?

We are ALL Queens!

Share Your Journey, Empower Others...

We invite you to share your story with the Inspiring Women community. Your experiences, challenges, and triumphs can profoundly impact someone navigating a similar situation. When you send us your story, we will read it to the women who share our virtual space, with your permission, offering a platform for shared perspectives and supportive words. You can submit your story anonymously, or sign with a clever name to protect your identity. We truly want to hear from you – your voice matters!

Find Comfort in Community

When you share your story within the sanctity of our ZOOM meeting, it will be read to an inclusive group of women ready to offer their perspectives and insights. This collective wisdom can be incredibly helpful as you navigate through your situation, providing new viewpoints and heartfelt encouragement. Our unique group of women fosters a safe, virtual environment where we connect, offer empathy, and build each other up. If you're willing to "Share Your Story," this helps create a tapestry of shared experiences, proving that no one walks alone.

Let Us Help You Connect

Please share your "Queen Monologue" with us. If you've attended a virtual meeting or if you missed one, we'd love to have your queen monologue added to our website. Use the boxes below to submit. We can't wait to see it.