Today is International Women's Day..

 My 51st birthday is coming up on the 19th of this month...

it got me to thinking...
about all the women that have influenced my life...
Today March 8th is International Women's Day...
 

first and foremost is my Mom...

she was 15 when she had me...

she gave me the love of music...

we always had music in the house...in the car...

she exposed us to all kinds of music...

when I was growing up I didn't appreciate the fact...

that my Mom was so young...

and  that she didn't mind letting her Freak Flag fly...

she drove a fast 1965 Red Mustang...

she wore hot pants...

she gave us the love of books...

the love of art...dance...

she encouraged us to express ourselves...

I was shy...didn't like to stick out...

just wanted to blend....

Now I appreciate all these qualities in my Mom...

what embarrassed me as a kid...endears me to her now....

I tried with my kids to encourage them to express themselves...

be individuals...not worry about what others think...

Thank you Mom for all you've taught me...

for the example you have always set for me...

for showing me that flying my freak flag is cool....

 



Another wonderful woman...with a big influence...

was my Nana...my ladybug...

she was very young when she married...

had 10 children...8 that lived...

lost my grandfather when her youngest was a baby...

she managed to keep her family together...

My Nana and I had a special connection from day one...

she was at the hospital when I was born...

my Mom and I lived with her for a time when I was a baby...

she was a Christian woman...

she took me to church...we shopped together...

I always felt like a grown up when I was with her...

she could be herself with me...I could be myself with her...

she was a great homemaker...seamstress...cook...friend...

she was a beautiful woman inside and out....

I talked to her on the phone at least 4 times a week...

she taught me the joy of a homemade gift...

receiving it and giving it...



Another great woman in my life was Mrs. Walker...

she was my BFF from high school's Mom...

she was a stay at home Mom...that also worked from home...

she helped her husband run a business...she also had a job

doing work at home for yearbooks...

she volunteered in the PTA...she was a girl scout leader...

Booster club member...

I think at one time or the other she was President of all of them...

as busy as she was...she always had time for her family...

three daughters...also for their friends...

for her friends...if you ever needed any one to talk to...

Mrs. Walker was there to listen...not to judge...

she would tell you what she thought...or guide you...

but it was up to you to decide what to do...

Doing all this...she had arthritis...a extremely severe case...

she was in pain most of her life...but she never stopped...

never complained...was always there with a hug...

a glass of tea...

she showed me you can be there for your kids...

run a business...volunteer...

when I feel I have to much on my plate...

I think of all she did...while going through so much...

it makes me put one foot in front of the other....

keep on going...

 

My Aunts also had a big influence in my life...

My Aunt Dorothy....

she can throw a dinner party or gathering like no other...

cloth napkins...pretty dishes...

she knows the family history...

she is a Christian woman...

a leader...

she dresses in the most amazing outfits...

hats..shoes...handbags...

she has such style and grace...

I think my love of cloth napkins...pretty dishes...

hats came from her.....

Red hair also...

My Aunt Wanda...the teacher...

a Christian woman...

as a kid I wanted to be a teacher...

I played teacher all the time...

I've always loved working with kiddos...

I think this came from her...

My Aunt Rachel....she is the keeper of the family calendar...

A Christian woman...

she keeps track of the births...marriages...anniversaries...deaths...

she's the one to go to the hospital when a new baby is born...

she was there when both of my kids were born...

she has sent me a birthday card for as long as I can remember...

I'm the keeper of the family calendar in my family...

I love to send cards...to keep track of everyone...

I think I got this from her...

Mrs. Cook our neighbor when I was growing up...

she was an artist...she was a Christian woman...

she volunteered at her church...she cooked...

she gardened...she played the piano...

she let us help her can vegetables...make jelly...

she was sweet and patient...

I feel like she had a big impact on my life...

My Mamaw...I was not blood related to her...

she met me when I was not quite 2...

but she treated me like a grand daughter from day one...

she taught me the love of country music...

Mamaw loved music...she would get her toe tapping...

she loved dancing...

she taught me to sew on her treadle sewing machine...

she taught me how to quilt...I'm sure my stitches weren't great...

but she let me do them any way...

she taught me to embroidery...

She was completely opposite of my Nana...

I got the best of both worlds..

My Mom's friend Donnis...

a beautiful...sweet... kind...artistic woman...

I loved spending time with her as a kid...

she reminded me of Doris Day...

her daughter Nicole and I were friends...

she would let Nicole and I play dress up with her clothes...

she would take us out in public with our dress up clothes on..

with our baby dolls...

I remembered this when my kids came along...

I let them wear their dress up clothes in public...

or mix matched clothes if they dressed themselves..

Donnis and my Mom would take us to the park...

with paper..pencils...crayons...have us draw what we saw...

take us into the creeks to catch tadpoles...

I even used Nicole as my daughters middle name...

I remember a cross necklace Donnis gave me for my birthday...

my brother grabbed it one day when we were playing outside...

I lost the cross...but have never forgotten how special it was to me...she is still a special lady...

have recently got her back in my life...still as beautiful as ever...

I feel fortunate to have the strong women as part of my life...

I think I learned something from each and every one of them...

I know I have a piece of each of them in my heart...

 

To my blog friends...you are all special women...

I feel I learn something from each of you...

we may never meet in person...

but you all have a special place in my heart...