Influential Women in My Life

I have seen many posts this past month on the importance of various women.  It has made me think about some women who have been very important to me.  Obviously, my mother and my grandmothers were a major influence.  I think I could write an entire book about them.  I also enjoyed my mother-in-law and appreciated talking with her.  But, I would like to give some credit to a few others also.

Aunt Ruth W—was an example of a highly intelligent woman who made her way in what was at the time a man’s world.  During World War II, she advanced to a position normally held by a man with the Bethlehem Steel Company.  When they tried to “demote” her after the war, she stood her ground and retained the position.  When feminism emerged, the company realized they did not have many female executives and wanted to promote her, but that would have required a move to the corporate office in another state.  She wasn’t open to the idea of moving at that point in her life.  She was an assertive personality, cultured and inquisitive.  She was very kind to me.  I loved going downtown to visit her at her office and going out for lunch in a local “tearoom.”

Gertrude M—a rather formidable woman who rarely smiled.  She had prior to marriage been part of the YWCA movement.  She attended the church we began to attend when I was six years old.  She directed the camp I attended every summer.  She saw to it that we memorized a Psalm every summer at camp.  She made me a senior counselor responsible for a group of the youngest girls and had me teaching them the Bible lessons when I was only 15.  That had a big impact on my life and belief in what I could do.

Edna H—was my Pioneer Girl Pal.  She gave me loving attention over several years.  I knew I always had someone on my side.

Mary P—an extraordinarily sweet and kind lady who was my Sunday School teacher at some point in my teen years.  She provided her basement as a meeting place for a Bible Club after school during my teen years also.  I always enjoyed talking with her.

June R—a pastor’s wife at the point where I was making important decisions in my life.  She influenced my choice of nursing school and college.  I babysat for her small children.  She and her husband would bring me books from the Christian bookstore to pay for my babysitting as I didn’t want to take money from them, and I didn’t get many opportunities to go to the Christian bookstore.

Edith L—a “mother” away from home while I was in nursing school.  I could drop in at her home pretty much anytime and feel welcomed.  She gave wise counsel and prayed for me.  She is nearly 100 years old and is still declaring the message of Christ by leading a Bible study in her nursing home.

Louise N—another “mother” while I was in college.  I cleaned her house to pay for my room one year, and this afforded many chances for conversation during which she shared from her heart concerning some of her life experiences.  She prayed for me for years after I graduated from college.

I have never wanted to be exactly like any woman I have known.  During my teen years, I remember one of my close friends saying she wanted to be just like a certain woman in our church.  I was actually a bit puzzled by this, as I couldn’t think of anyone I wanted to be exactly like.

After my Mother’s funeral service at which she had been justifiably highly praised, someone said to me, “Well…you’re never going to live up to that!”  I thought it was a careless thing for her to say and would have hurt most daughters who were about to bury their mother.  I actually found it a bit amusing. 

As much as I adored my Mother, I never expected to be just like her.  God makes each of us uniquely, and we each have a purpose we need to fulfill.  My job is not to be like anyone else, but to be who God made me to be.

I do think most women are sweeter than I am, and they clearly tolerate women’s meetings where the discussion rambles down all sorts of side roads better than I do!  But, sometimes having a brain that charges down the tracks toward the station like a freight train is helpful.  I hope my granddaughters grow up knowing that it’s okay to be atypical.  I pray they will find God’s special path for them.