When I was my oldest son's age (4th grade), I fell in love with the biography shelf at our school library. I LOVED those books and read them all (some over and over). I was particularly drawn to the biographies of women: Florence Nightingale, Helen Keller, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Marie Curie and more.
For the most part, their growing-up stories seemed ordinary, but there was something inside each of them that led them to do extraordinary things. By and large, people told them they couldn't, but they found out that they could. I found, and still find, their stories inspirational.
So, I thought I'd make a list, off the top of my head, of women who have inspired me for one reason or another. I'm sure I'll forget someone, but I don't want it to be too thought-out. I'd love it if you'd add to my list in the comments about which are the women YOU would chose.
Jane Addams
Barbara Jordan (the voice)
Molly Ivins
Eleanor Roosevelt
Katharine Hepburn
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Rachel Carson
Jane Austen
Mata Hari
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3 comments:
Rosa Parks was the first lady I thought of. What courage she had!
I'd keep your entire list and add Margaret Mead, Nancy Drew, and maybe Lucy Van Pelt. And Little Lulu. OK, they may not all have been real live people (Mead certainly was!), but they are were among my inspirational heroes as independent thinkers and doers as I was growing up!
Viewfinder
Margaret Sanger would have to be on my list. Where would women be today without her?
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