I sit here reminiscing about the most gorgeously souled images of mentors, sages and generous girlfriends who have graced my life across time. Women whom I would be honored to model myself after and that truly have taught me so much just in their “being.”
When I was a child (elementary age) and I had a rough day at school, I would come home and my Mom would scoop me up, take me to a soft, orange cloth rocking chair, hug me on her lap and let me talk and cry. She would listen, ask questions and validate my little sensitive heart, letting me know that it all would be alright. When I was done, she would quietly rock me for minutes at a time and rub my back. Sometimes, she would sing to me. It was such a soothing, nurturing experience to have as a little girl. As she knew that I was feeling better, she would start talking to me, joking and worked to lighten the situation. Eventually, I would get up and go about my afternoon better than when I arrived home. I have been so blessed to have her in my life to scoop me up metaphorically throughout my years, near or far. She is also one of my greatest fans. She always knows just what to do or say, even to this day.
I skip gently forward to my teen years as I sat in the car in the driveway of my home talking for hours with a most gracious woman, with the same name as mine. I babysat her children for a few years. She was interested in my thoughts, my life and she was just plain cool. I loved talking with her about all kinds of topics. I have so many fond memories of her. One time, she invited me and my friends over to her home early on a school day. She took the time to french braid our hair, so we all went to school looking alike. This one stands out as something special. I genuinely enjoyed time with her. She nurtured me as I was and showed up in my life in a way that she did not have to.
There is another, whose name is Mary. I do not know her really well and I have often thought that if I could learn from her example of support and unconditional kindness, I would know that I have arrived. She exuded this so simply in her supportive statements and accolades with what I did just in being me. She was a soft place to land when I needed to vent or problem solve. She was the ultimate professional, dependable, humble, kind and hard working. She never spoke an unkind word in any time that I was around her. She was at the top of her field and while she was powerful in her leading, she did this with a trusting, gentle way about her.
Snippets of memories come to mind like the most delightful party balloons popping up, one at a time, none like the other. There have been many others like my Mom, Susanne and Mary. Each are so wonderful in the way that they walk genuinely through the world. They have gifted me with so many stories and lessons simply through relating and showing up so sincerely in my life. They have had a profound influence on my own creative way of taking on the world in my own “being”. And I am better for it!
I would be honored it if you would share about who has had a huge influence on your life and how this has influenced how you walk through the world.
