I stumbled across the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam.

I felt compelled to visit as I wanted to support a museum that I haven’t seen a lot in my travels, one dedicated to women, and I was curious what would be in such a museum.

The admission fee is only 30,000 Vietnamese Dong ($1.76 CDN, $1.32 USD) and well worth it.

The History gallery recounts the sacrifices and achievements of female soldiers and civilians during the Indochina Wars and the Vietnam War through showing us the lives of women during the wars.

These women were combat fighters, medical staff, mothers, wives, labourers and activists, who were vocal in trying to stop the US attacks on civilians during the Vietnam War, which killed an estimated 3.1 million people.

I was hungry for information because I didn’t know that much about these wars and the role of women in them.

I was moved to tears by the incredible spirit of these women who defended their country and fellow citizens and carried on despite losing everything, including their homes, husbands and children.

I am always amazed by the extraordinary courage and perseverance of these women, and all women, who have to go through such horrific circumstances.

How do they do it? How do they carry on? Are they different from us?

I don’t feel that brave and strong when I have to suffer through my own struggles and fears, which can easily become overwhelming at times.

We are stronger than we think. We have emotional, spiritual and even physical resources at our disposal. We may get knocked down, but we don’t have to stay down.
― Steve Goodier

After visiting the museum, it made me look at women in Hanoi in a new way, from elderly vendors to young women in coffee shops. I understood that most came through pasts that were horrific, terrifying and destructive, either first hand or through their lineage.

Through these stories of tragedy and hardship, we pass on from generation to generation the pain and suffering that was experienced.

However, through these same stories, we are reminded of the incredible spirit of courage and compassion that is passed on and is within us.

It is in our DNA.

When we are afraid to do something that is ahead of us, perhaps we need to look first behind us to remember the women that came before us.

They were like us, frightened to take action.

They did anyway.

We need to stand up to take “our turn” best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin says in his fabulous new book What To Do When It’s Your Turn (and it’s always your turn)

He asks two questions of us that I ask myself a lot lately when making a decision.

If not now, then when?

If not you, then who?

I believe when we take our turn, we honour the brave women and men that have come before us, and most of all ourselves.

I finished my tour of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum with a wonderful photo exhibition on “Ageless Beauty” by the incredible French photographer Réhahn. It moved me too, so much that I felt compelled to write about it too, so that is another blog post and Part 2 of my visit to this incredible museum.

Also published on Medium.