Phenomenal Women, Part Two
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | No Comments
Now, Part Two of the phenomenal women in my life. The women here may not be family, but they are just as important as anyone I’m actually related to. And while the women in my family played a part in my personal life, the women I honor in this post were instrumental in other parts of my life.
- My best and closest friends: A, A and D – More than a decade ago, I met these three women when we all started high school together. I would have never guessed that nearly 15 years later, we’re still friends. These three women probably know me better than anyone else (except, perhaps, my mom) and I really should have included them in the family post because they are like family to me. We’ve all been through so much together that it’s incredibly hard to imagine life without any one of them. They all bring a different personality and different type of friendship and, at any given moment, I’ll need to rely on at least one of them. Most importantly, they seem to like me, just as I am, despite having no obligation to do so.
- Former music instructor, J – For five years, I attempted to stake my claim on musical greatness, with the help of a private music instructor. Though I never really progressed much farther than average, I gained something much better: a lifelong friend. Throughout the years of my lessons, J became less of a teacher and more of a true friend, the ones who only want the very best for you. She never hesitated to welcome me into her home and family without question, often playing the role of second mother. I learned a lot more than just notes and scales during those five years and I have J to thank for that.
- Female High School Teachers – I realized recently that this year marks my 10 year high school reunion, a fact which makes me feel unbearably old. Ordinarily, I might single out a specific teacher, but I honestly have to give a lot of credit to the majority of my high school teachers. Having attended an all-girls school, they were charged not only with educating us students, but also helping us develop a strong sense of self as women and as people. At the time, I hated high school and didn’t give much thought to how it would help shape me, but now that I’m able to look back with some sense of perspective, I can see just how much of an impact my all-girls high school and its teachers had on me. And if anyone ever tells my parents that, I’ll deny it to the grave!
- College Professor, Dr. E – I’ve had the good fortune to study with a number of great college professors, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. I’m singling out Dr. E because she was the professor who inspired and ultimately advised me when I wrote my senior thesis. She specialized in women’s literature and I remember admiring her career and the way she taught her classes. To this day, I’m convinced the only reason I survived writing my senior thesis was because I had Dr. E encouraging me. I can only hope that my efforts since college would meet with her approval.
- Former bosses J and M – After a less-than-ideal experience with my first “real” boss post-college, I admit to being wary when I started my new job at a local community foundation. I was floundering a bit career-wise and I wanted a job I could love as well as some sense of where I was headed. J and M provided both. Fair-minded and encouraging, I found myself in a position that challenged and excited me. Through my work with them, I found the graduate program I eventually attended and much of my grad school work and career choices can be traced back to their influence. Throughout it all, they were there to cheer me on and wish me luck, even though it meant leaving the job working with them.
There are so many people who change us, challenge us and make us better. I’m so incredibly fortunate that I have had so many people in my life willing and ready to help me. Like so many others, women often have to fight for what they want, but nothing is ever truly accomplished unless we can help others and give them a hand up as well.
Who are the women in your life who have made a difference? Consider honoring them in some small way this March.
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