A WORLD TO DISCOVER

There are so many women that have for different reasons inspire me and continue to do so. Some of them have passed from this life and some are still with us. Because of this I decided I would write about what inspires me in women, instead of about a woman. Though, I may name some of those women of whom I am speaking. Courage is a something that inspires me every day. Sometimes it is the unseen courage of the struggling mother, who is working, coming home, making beds, cooking, sitting with her child over their homework, and otherwise nurturing that child enabling it to grow to be the best it can be. Sometimes, it is a different kind of courage; instead the woman may be quietly fighting cancer, Crohns disease, PTSD, or some other life threatening or life debilitating disease. At times, they suffer cruel questions by unknowing people. Words that diminish there illness or if it is an unseen disease scoffed at by those who do not understand or do not know because it isn't something that she talks about. In both cases, the woman I have known do these things cheerfully or with kindness and thoughtfulness of others. Both my mother and my sister, as well as many of those friends I hold highly have or are going through one or more of these things. I admire and am inspired by the woman who has the pluck to fight the good fight even when the odds are stacked against them. Women like Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Golda Meir who put up for years with so many calling them names, yet continued their crusade to right wrongs and fight for the rights of women, minorities, and the working person. Later as in Hillary’s case running for President and nearly winning. Golda Meir became Prime Minister of Israel. They both lived admirable lives and in Hillary’s case she continues to do so with grace. The woman who gives her life’s blood to become a caretaker for her disabled or elderly parent or child and does so with love, heart, and compassion. Even in the darkest moments of her soul rarely does she even mention her plight and when she does it is to say, she is tired. Not the truth that she is endanger of losing herself within her role. I know many of these women and only because they have come to trust me do I even know what efforts they put in daily. The woman who gives kindness and thoughtfulness even when she is depleted and in need of it herself is someone I admire. That is the woman who is always looking at things from the other person’s point of view or understanding that she may not know all of the story. She is the woman who says to herself, I may have misheard or misunderstood, there is another side besides mine. I admire my neighbor, who waited and still loved her ex-husband after a forty year separation. She let go of her own hurts and cherished what was good, moving on to get her master’s degree at sixty-five and at eighty-two they remarried. She is now at eighty-seven quietly fighting lung cancer, macular degeneration, and a variety of other issues, yet remains a cheerful friend always there to give a strong word of encouragement or a kind gesture. And last, but not least I admire and am inspired by women who choose to fight for women’s rights and reach out their hands for the other knowing that we do not need to be at odds with each other, but can become more together than apart. So many of you here on The Verge, inspire me daily with your courage, wisdom, ability to go the extra mile and kindness to others. I thank you for your inspiration.