A blend of personal and professional might be an author who acted as a mentor in my younger days. Or a young author who through receiving the mentoring gave me much more back.
The topic said "A Person." So that restricts it down even further. So, I'm taking the easy way out and writing about two women who inspired me--my mother and my grandmother. Both instilled in me an independence that was ahead of its time. A love of reading helped me to become a correspondent, a writer, and an author. My grandmother was a talented seamstress and craftsperson. One ability skipped a couple of generations (don't ask me to sew on a button), but I do love crafts.
My mother and grandmother also inspired in how they lived, through hard times and loss, peace and war, their own sickness and that of others. Today I honor the one by using her name as my penname for my historical westerns, and the other as the basis for a character. I hope when the time comes to measure my life that it is written I lived it as well as they did with dignity, love, and kindness.
On some of the topics in the challenge, the poster took odds as to how many others would give a specific answer. Stop by the rest of the blog to see how many picked a parent or ancestor as the "Person Who Inspired."
~till next time, Helen
PS - you'll notice there are no pictures of the ladies. One is passed and the other didn't want her picture taken. And since my mother works out with a personal trainer every week, she's stronger than I am so I obeyed her wish.
The gremlins ate spaces or dots in the following posts, so follow these links if you get a 404 (aka not found).
Valerie Ullmer/
LOL on her being a personal trainer. That's awesome. I enjoyed your post Helen. Having strong people around us is important. I'm glad you had it double.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I didn't go the family route on my post, I certainly could have. Thanks to my mother, I am able to sew on a button. ;-)
ReplyDeletesewing a button is the extent of my ability in that area. thanks for stopping by.
DeleteNo woman with half a brain messes with her mother :) Loved your post.
ReplyDeleteOr messes with anyone's daughter when their mother is around. Mama bears don't have nothing on an old-world mother. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI can't see to thread a needle these days. I enjoyed hearing about the two women who inspired you. I used family members, but not mother or grandmother. Either of my grandmothers could have been chosen. I didn't realize how strong my mother was until after she'd passed away. She had a tough life but suffered in silence.
ReplyDeleteFor my generation, men were still the strong silent type, their emotions not easily shared. I think I saw my father cry twice. Once on his return from Vietnam and the other at his mother's passing. I've since learned that although they were supposed to be the weaker sex, the women were as strong if not stronger. Thanks for stopping by.
Delete