Phenomenal Women, Part One

Posted on | March 2, 2010 | 2 Comments

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

- Maya Angelou

It’s officially March, which for me means two very different things: first, the celebration of my birthday (only 12 more shopping days left!) and second, the celebration of Women’s History Month.

The inspiration behind the month is simple: recognize and honor the contributions women have made to American history. There are certainly many women who have helped shape history and many who I looked up to when I was growing up. As an adult, though, I feel like I have a bit more perspective and have a greater appreciation for the women in my own life.

They may not grace the pages of history books, but they’ve certainly contributed to my own personal history in significant ways. Though I hope they already know how highly I regard them, it never hurts to make sure the rest of the world knows as well. (Plus, it’s my blog, so I get to write about whatever – or whomever – I want.)

• My mom – perhaps an obvious choice (we all have mothers, after all), but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to truly articulate how important my mom is to me, no matter how hard I try. Lord knows I made it difficult for her to like me when I growing up, so I can only hope to redeem myself as an adult by making sure everyone knows how much I love and appreciate her. She is, hands down, the strongest and best person I know.
• My stepmother, A – we’ve come a long way, baby. A has been a part of my life since I was a toddler, but it wasn’t always easy. The stepparent/stepchild relationship is always somewhat tenuous, especially at first. In the interest of saving space and time, let’s just say A put up with a lot. And for that, I’m truly grateful because it gave me the chance to grow up, get over myself and make up for my childhood follies. A is a great listener and a good person to have in your corner when you need someone to talk to. She also refuses to take any of my crap, which is probably good for my ego.
• My sister, C – I wanted a little sister, but that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I get a big sister and when I was younger, there was nothing cooler than an older, teenage sister who got to do all sorts of magical things like pick out her own clothes, drive a car and go to high school. One of the things I love best about my sister is how we can pick up where we left off, even when we don’t see each other for awhile (and since we live on opposite coasts, it always awhile). I was in awe of her as a child and most days, I’m still in awe of her – she is always unapologetic about herself and has such an impressive strength of character. I wish I had her self-confidence.
• My aunt, C – In college, I almost never got along with my roommates, but I didn’t always have the opportunity to go home. So whenever I needed to escape, my aunt C would welcome me to her house, no questions asked. She was never quite like my other aunts – they all seemed so prim and proper in comparison. Meanwhile, C would make crazy jokes, put me to work like I was little orphan Annie and always challenged me to rise to the occasion. She’s always been one of my favorite people, but the grace and courage she showed when fighting – and beating – breast cancer made me feel like I had been blessed by having her in my life.
• My aunt, A – It’s not always easy being the youngest. It sort of feels like I’m always trying to catch up. Despite their best intentions, my parents couldn’t relate because they were both the oldest. So thank God for my aunt A – the youngest herself, she and I had a special bond from the very beginning. She always understood me in a way others couldn’t and she was always there for me, willing to accept me for who I was, even when I wasn’t being a very good me. Even with the many additions our family has seen over the years, we’ve remained close. And even though we tease good-naturedly, I know she’s always on my side.

Who are the women in your families that have helped shape and inspire you? Women’s History Month is a good time to honor them.

Check back later this week for Part Two of the Phenomenal Women in my life. You might also like my Women’s History Month series on my book blog, The Librarian Next Door. Over there, I’m writing about the female authors and characters that have been most memorable in my personal reading history.

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