Influential Women

What about you? Spend some time writing a list of the women who have influenced you and what they have taught you in life. Try to list everything. Even tying your shoelaces or making a great cup of tea qualifies, though I suspect you’ve learnt more valuable lessons from other women, just as I have.

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The first woman to teach me was my mother, as a special needs teacher for over 20 years and now works with homeless children she was an amazing example of how to live my life. She has the heart of gold.

Mom- Taught me how to tie a perfect bow, to be strong even when you are overshadowed, how to curse under your breath, the love of books, the perfect pasta salad and memories of pumpkin bread and grasshopper pie.

Sister- I can throw pretty well, I have horrible aim when I throw, don’t throw a comb... it will hit your sister on the face and make her bleed. You will get in trouble for this!

Mandy(Next door neighbor)- Sometimes getting sticks and leaves, and racing them in the gutters is more fun than playing dolls inside during Texas rainstorms, being with your friends in the cold seems to make the outside warmer.

Laura – Riding an Arabian stallion is forbidden until they are a year old… riding a year old Arabian bareback will get your thrown into thistles, When you fall off a horse, you have to get back on.

Belinda- Not all women who have children are supposed to be mothers. Some women never understand what a mother is.

Sheila (ex-MIL) - There is such thing as unconditional love. I miss you daily.

Carol – Being a good cook is a key aspect of life… without the love of food, a pride in your creations and the desire to feed the world, you can not truly be “full”.

Laila- Best friends are found in the most random of places, tongue-rings, sex talk and “geeks in the woods with sticks” is a recipe for never-ending friendship.

Gretchen- Sharing the pregnancy and birth of another human, made me appreciate each birth of my own children. Never order a Crowbar from the local coffee house… AND chocolate cake and then go home and breastfeed!

Kara(daughter)- Heartache is agonizing, watching your daughter go through her first heartache will shatter your heart.

Ashlyn(daughter)- Be careful naming your children before birth, sometimes… they sometimes come out the opposite.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis- Grace under pressure, you never know when a camera is on you. Teach your children to respect the world and the world will respect them.

Bettie Page- Stand outside the norm, you will make enemies, sometimes… you have to make enemies to make a change.

Now, I’ve learned a lot over the years watching/reading from other women… here’s my small list.

~Hot chocolate should be made with warm milk ~Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should ~Your children want to be kissed, even as teenagers ~Wrestle with your man ~Learn to play chess ~When you mess up a meal, request redemption, don’t give up ~Have a signature dish ~Decorate for every holiday, even when you are depressed ~Fall in love with yourself ~Have your own friends ~Absence does make your heart grow fonder ~When a relationship ends, take the time to heal before getting into another one ~You should not try to go back to your past ~Tears are not weapons nor are your children ~Being alone is better than being unhappy ~Take a bath ~Walk away when you are angry with your child ~Strive to be as intelligent as you are beautiful, no compliment means more to me than… “You are a smart cookie”

Huge amounts of Thanks to A Creative Journal for this idea!