Amazing Women Are Everywhere

Amazing women are everywhere, and many of their heroic acts go unsung. We thought we’d share a few stories we received about three special women.

Late last year, we?wrote about Amazing Women ?who, in the face of tragedy and grief, looked for ways to harness it in a positive way and make a difference. We profiled Candace Lightner, who founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Kristin Bride, who is spearheading efforts in Congress to combat online bullying.

We also asked for stories about Amazing Women from our community, and we were delighted by the flood of responses.

The stories revealed the sacrifices and contributions that women make every day. There are so many moms whose love, efforts, and heroism go unnoticed daily. All they do to support, nurture, and care for their children – and their communities – remains incalculable. To measure how many women are there for us, and others would be impossible. And each, in her own way, has her own story that often goes untold.

Do you have a Story of an Amazing Woman?

Share your story with us, at [email protected] for an upcoming edition of the Celebrations Pulse and our ongoing initiative to celebrate Amazing Women in our community.

Sharing stories of Amazing Women

It doesn’t have to be Mother’s Day or Women’s History Month to celebrate women for what they do. We wanted to share a few of the stories we received. Most revolve around mothers who are caregivers and help with health-related issues, and there were others that were less serious, but still impactful.

Helping children

Filipina from Nashville, Tennessee, writes:

"Her name is Melissa. Her daughter Ally has microtia, an ear condition that causes an external ear deformity and hearing loss. This affliction can impact children in so many ways, including their ability to communicate, learn, and socialize. They can be victims of bullying.

Melissa started?Ear Community , a not-for-profit that helps these children and their families. She is also active in legislation making sure these children get hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other types of care.

I am a nurse practitioner at Vanderbilt Children’s ear, nose, and throat clinic; that is how I got to know Melissa."

Success at home and work

Monika from New York writes about her mother’s achievements:

"It is hard to find the depth in words or language to express the sheer extent of my recently deceased mother’s impact on our lives, not only her big heart, but her entire life’s journey. She was a force of nature.

When she was in the thick of her scientific career and motherhood, she fulfilled both jobs exceptionally. As a scientist, she achieved many patents, accolades, and had highly respected papers published in top journals by the international scientific community. She diligently rose in the ranks as one of the most accomplished scientists of her generation, and as a woman, at a time when most Indian women stayed at home.

After an entire day in the lab, she would come home and take over all her other jobs from amazing cooking, hosting big dinner parties, to sewing and knitting our sweaters, ironing our school uniforms, helping us with homework, projects, and everything else.

Her appetite for adventure and travel is what led us to many countries (from Germany to Switzerland to the U.S.) and university campuses, from Harvard to Cornell, and to Vanderbilt where both Mom and Dad worked as visiting scientists.

For me, personally, she was the force who always encouraged me to keep pushing the envelope further. She had been by my side to support me in anything I wanted to pursue. She also raised my daughter over the last nine years as the most doting grandmother.

It is now dawning on me that I have her big shoes to fill."

Sewing for the community

Karen from Prescott, Arizona, writes about how her mother helped her community:

"I want to brag about my own mother who is 91 years old. She is down to extremely limited vision in only one eye due to macular degeneration. Yet, she still lives on her own and just finished stitching her 50th dress for little girls, which she donates to the Yavapai Big Brother Big Sisters of America.

Sewing has always been a part of her life. A neighbor who worked for the American Thread Company asked her to experiment with a peculiar thing called Velcro years ago, because the company was considering adding it to their product line.

The first thing she made with Velcro was a vest and several patterned skirts that attached to it at the waist. I loved startling friends at school by making the famous ripping sound as I pulled the vest away from the skirt.

I still have the Southern-style wedding gown she made for me when I married in 1971. It was tiers and tiers of lace and petticoats, and I felt like a princess walking down the aisle. I was also surrounded by attendants donning dresses she made for them as well. Also, in my heirloom trunk are several adorable “ruffles and lace” dresses that she stitched for my daughter over 40 years ago.

My mother's greatest joy has been to utilize her God-given talent to bring smiles to others which I have witnessed for 71 years now. She has, and continues to, make a difference in so many lives."

A big thank you to all these Amazing Women for all that they do to brighten and enliven our worlds – every day.