O.K., I have a million things I should be doing, trust me, no exaggeration! For some illogical reason, I have had this blog in my mind since last night, and I cannot ignore it, any longer. The need to share my thoughts has caused me to put cows, chickens, dogs, and cleaning, to the side. So bear with me.
From the title, you must know, the first woman I love and admire, is, of course my Mom. Sure, she has passed, decades ago, however, I still love her dearly, and she was an amazing woman.
My Mom was almost a single parent. Yes, my Dad outlived her by many years, and was always in the home, however, he worked at a job that had him gone at first light, and home at supper, 7 days a week. Summer had him gone till dark. She did everything! She fixed things, she painted the house, I remember her up on the roof, painting the tin. In between all the big jobs, she would always have a home cooked meal, plus dessert. Her house was spotless. I remember her trying to make a beautiful yard with a wooden wheel barrow, that had a 30 lb. metal wheel. Sadly she did make an incredible yard, only shortly before she passed away. She could do almost anything. I always say, I never wanted to be like my Mother, doing all sorts of hard jobs, alone, but, many times I have stopped to realize, HTF, did I become my Mom? Sadly the spotless house and beautiful yard are still on my bucket list.
The next woman on the list is Miss Cindy. Strange twist in my life to meet up with this person later in life. We were definitely not of the same status, she is extremely intelligent, not something I can admit to, and found her place in the world of oil and gas engineering, a predominately Male sector. That in itself is to be admired, but she is much more than that. She is totally independant! Like my Mom, she does it all herself. She is the adventurer in my tiny little world. I have lived vicariously through her, many times. Like my Mom, she is also, the salt of the earth. There is nothing phony about this woman, and truth is, her accomplishments need no embellishments, she is so easy to relax with, laugh, and feel you have known her all your life. My youngest told me she wanted to grow up and be just like Miss Cindy. That says it all about this special woman.
Joyce Turner, another woman who may have left this earth, but I still love and admire her. She did some pretty amazing things in her lifetime, while raising a big family. She was a cook, a taxi driver etc. all along , being one of the kindest women I have ever met. Those who know me, know that my Honey and I have a mixed race relationship. Now many of his family welcomed me with open arms, some not so much. When he decided to take part in the feast system, he was not known by many, and I, of course, was, as I say "the no name table, person". I belong to no house, and I do not understand the language used in the Feast hall, so I would spend hours sitting at the table with no clue what was happening, while my Honey served, and spent time with his house members, not much fun, and very uncomfortable. Out of the blue, Joyce and her husband, took my honey and I under their wings. She taught me many things, explaining all sort of traditions, teaching me medicine, etc. They were our Grandparents, accepting, welcoming, and full of knowledge. I have a huge bread bowl she bought me, and each time I decide to make bread, I pull that bowl out, and speak to her, she is greatly missed, and much admired.
Irenie Reen, yes, very much loved and admired! She was my lifesaver, more times than I can count. Every pothole in life I fell into, Irene had been there before me, and talked me through them. She lived a life that required her to work very hard, while raising her family. Unlike myself, she is very forgiving, and , until spending far too much time with me, always found the ability to give everyone more chances than they deserved. She was the positive to my negative, I used to wonder how she managed, and she told me, long ago, the trick was to accept what life gave you, and to not expect what you wanted, or what you felt you deserved. Not an easy thing to do, but she also was gifted with the virtue of patience, which I am lacking in, so she waited a very long time till I took her lesson to heart. I am there (most of the time) and for that I am very grateful. I want to be just like her!
I have one more woman I need to put in this catagory. Bet she is surprised, but I have great admiration for her, along with a great deal of love. My sister in law, Jody! We have known each other for a very long time, we went through some pretty tough trials over the years, and sadly, we have lived apart for far too many years, but our connection is huge. Jody started working when her oldest was about 11/2 . My oldest was a baby, and I was a stay at home Mom, so I did the babysitting. She started at the grocery store, and over time, cleaned the school, and moved up to school secretary, pretty damned admirable in itself! She is the Martha Stewart of cooking, and baking, and (sadly, unlike myself, cleaning). She has done all sort of volunteer stuff, and I believe her town is a much better place because of her time and effort. Today she is finally showing the world the strength behind her quiet, soft person, and it is not only amazing , it is beyond admirable. I am so very proud of her!
So, these are all women I love and admire. I may not have mentioned all my beloved friends on this list, I admire each and every one of them, and as far as love goes, they know I love them with all my heart. They have all brought something wonderful into my life, and because I did not name them, does not mean they don't have a special place in my heart along with the above. I am a very lucky woman, and I hope that along the way, I have picked up little pieces of all these people, as they have all given me the gift of their friendship.
