International Women’s Day Serves as My Reminder

If your mom is still around, thank her. When you read about all these beautiful women who have jumped out on the front lines and have made huge strides chances are there is a strong mom who raised her to know the sky is the limit. International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the strong women who have paved the way for us. When I started researching Women to write about today there was one woman who kept coming to mind. You won't read about her on Wikipedia, or see her name in the news, but she made a difference in my little hometown.

My mom passed away a few days before Christmas in 2004, I was 13, and I have never seen such a large group of people come together for a funeral. That was the day I realized just how many people she had helped out. She didn't do it for the recognition, she was always on the sidelines and in the background. Never front and center. I remember people who I had never met walked up to me and my siblings to tell us how much my mother impacted their life. I wish I could remember everything they said or who they were. Maya Angelou was right “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I remember she would go get a Chemo treatment and in less than a week she would make her weekly drive to help her friends with errands. Her friends were 80 something, they couldn't drive and lived in assisted living, so my mom would show up twice a week without fail. I can see it now, her white Pontiac van, my mom with her chemo hat on, and her elderly friends just riding around town. She'd take them to church and help them run errands. My mother always made sure to bring joy to some of the darkest rooms. My mom knew she was the only visitor for some of the elders in our church and community, so she made a point to visit often. My mom adopted them as if they were her parents and grandparents. She may have been a pastors wife, but her ministry was all her own, and I know she made a huge difference in the senior community. If I can be half the woman my mother was, I think I'll do just fine in life.

Ladies, who empowers you? Is there a woman in your life that you can't imagine life without? A sister? Friend? Mother? Aunt? Tell us about her in the comment below!