My hopes and dreams as a child were not very big. Because I never fully grasped the notion that possibilities are endless, I didn't chase what seemed impossible. With age comes wisdom, however, and I quickly learned that I could become great at anything but one of the keys to doing so was to surround myself with inspiring women, women who could teach me and guide me and lead me in the right direction.
It is dangerous to try to list every woman who has inspired me along the way because I know that I will forget someone and I would hate to overlook any of the amazing women who have poured into my life. But... I am going to name a few anyway. Before I start, I want to make a brief disclaimer. If you are a woman with whom I have crossed paths at any time in my life, please know that I have tried to learn from you, I have engaged in our relationship whole-heartedly and you have impacted my life in some way whether you know it or not. I have taken something away from our interaction that has affected my life.
Obviously the woman who inspired me most at an early age was my mom. She made her own clothes and always had jewelry and heels to match. She managed the household with ease, our house was always clean and she taught me how to play basketball. Because of her, all I ever wanted was to grow up and get married and have babies. My sister, Denise, inspires me in much the same way but with the added pressure of being a working mom yet doing it so well. I admire her strength and her drive to provide.
Before I was school aged, I was surround by women who encouraged me and gave me hope, probably without knowing it. I don't have a lot of early memories but I remember that the most loving arms next to my mom's were my Aunt Georgia's. I remember my Aunt Susie's laugh and my Aunt Rosemary's artistry and my oldest cousin Linda was always so beautiful. I loved when she hot-rolled my hair and feathered it like Farrah Fawcett. My best friend Diane's mom, Lois would stand on the porch and yell for her boys to come home at dinner time and she was really funny sometimes. What power...
Speaking of Diane... We have been friends since before we could walk or talk. That's 44 years for those who are counting and I don't want to know what life is like without her. There is not one moment of my life that I have not shared with her and I am forever grateful for Diane.
When I got to school, there were some teachers along the way to led me to believe that I had some sort of special ability that would project me out into the world and make me successful. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Droste taught everyone in my neighborhood for more than thirty years. Sister Marie was a beast in the classroom but when I saw her outside of school, she was sweet. She was my first lesson in code switching. Mrs. Walsh made me a writer. Sister Bea made me a singer. Senora Waugh made me appreciate my education. And in college, Dr. Birkmann made me a teacher.
And let's not forget my girl friends! My teammates taught me how to enjoy the wins and how to survive the losses. They taught me that a group of girls with nothing in common but sport can become family, that great things happen when you stick together and that life will never be the same once you are part of a team.
Right after college, in my years of enlightenment, I found Jesus. I mean, I knew him before. I was a confirmed Catholic after all. But I got to know him better thanks to women like The Green Family women... all of them. Kathy Jones and Serena Johnson and Rose Daniels taught me that to love your family was to love Christ. There were so MANY women pouring into my life then. Today, I enjoy the residual friendship of that time with women who, in their twenties then, have grown into incredible examples of motherhood, wife life, entrepreneurship, love and determination.
My Jesus walk led me to my sisterhood with Tiffany. We have been friends, roommates, writing partners, dream sharers, realty TV show contestants and sisters for more than 20 years. As she leaves St. Louis to pursue her dreams in California, she inspires me yet again to strive for that which I was created, to refuse complacency and to live, not just be.
Through my working years, I have been lucky enough to learn from and with some really gifted people. The agency life is wild. The corporate life is complicated. The teaching life is insanely hard but so rewarding. I could not have reached my highest potential in the ad world without the guidance of many writers, project managers, scientists, brand managers, marketing wizards, creative geniuses... There was a woman at Purina, Kathy, who regularly encouraged me to look out for myself and focus on some personal successes. Her advice never went unheard. I just didn't achieve some of the things she encouraged until long after we worked together. But I never would have bought my own home if not for her suggestions. From every job, I have taken a handful of women who still inspire me today.
Finally, I have had enduring friendships over the years without which I clearly would not have survived. My friends from high school and college have all proven that there is nothing a woman can't do, that time does not diminish the possibilities and that women can set aside our competitive nature to support, nurture and encourage one another.
It is difficult for many women to trust other women. While I won't deny that I have had many negative experiences with other women, I will not allow those experiences to overshadow the good.
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