The Unsung Hero of Women’s History Month
It’s Women’s History Month and that means we’ve got a lot of great ladies to be grateful for. To the warriors of Seneca Falls, the first women to pursue a medical degree, the women who fought for our vote, the Emma Watsons and Gloria Steinems: THANK YOU. You’ve all given us something to aspire towards. Your bravery and wit set in motion amazing change and continue to inspire us every day. There is no questions about the gifts that you have given us and you’ll always be revered. But I need to take a moment to recognize someone who isn’t in the public eye or the history books.
I’m sure you all know more than one amazing woman who you wish could be recognized for her strength. These ladies most likely influenced you throughout your entire life and made you adopt the mantra, “I am woman. Hear me roar!” I too have many amazing women in my life who have pushed me to see the best in myself despite what the rest of the world thought. But there is no way that I could list them all. So here is a thank you to one very special woman. Someone who I don’t think gets enough recognition or realizes just how much she influences me. Here is to my aunt….we’ll call her Ophelia.
My Aunt Ophelia has always been a strong-willed woman. Because I come from a young family, I was around to witness her trouble-maker teenage years where she never let anything stop her. She didn’t always make the best decisions, sure, and many people may argue that some of those decisions didn’t set the greatest examples for a young girl. But they’d be wrong. Seeing Ophelia in all of her, come-at-me-world glory taught me that I was strong and that I could do anything I wanted….and all of her bad examples did actually steer me in a pretty good direction. This trouble-maker phase eventually died down (although she is still a riot to hang out with because you can never expect what’s next). But her “naughtiness”, as my family calls it, still clings on. For example: She used to set up my grandmother’s elf figurines in shocking poses to make her mad. I absorbed all of this when I was younger, not as something nasty, but as a comfortability with my body. Because of Ophelia I’m not ashamed or afraid of the “scandalous” part of life. And I love that about myself.
While these are admirable qualities, I think the most inspiring thing about my Aunt Ophelia is her story. I’ll tell it briefly to give you an idea of the kind of role model she is. Ophelia had a beautiful baby boy when she was out of high school. It was a complicated pregnancy that took a toll on her body. Through a series of events, she had to have an emergency C-section that almost took her from us. But that tough lady clung on. She was not supposed to have another. But she fell in love with one of the greatest, sweetest men I have ever known and couldn’t help but make something with that love. So, to the fright of the rest of us, she had a beautiful baby girl. That wasn’t easy either but she pulled through like a champ. A few years down the road, she was diagnosed with a terrible chronic disease that makes every day a struggle. But Ophelia became a great mother and wife and nothing was going to stop her from succeeding in her career. She took on the thankless role of stay at home mom and she knocked it out of the park. Her kids are so well behaved and her young daughter has more confidence than most college-aged females I know. There isn’t a day that she doesn’t work tirelessly to keep food on the table, get the kid’s work done, or dote on her husband. And she never asks for any help.
On an unrelated issue, she recently had to have a hysterectomy. We can all assume how painful and tiring a procedure like that can be. But Ophelia was up and talking within a few hours, just as spunky and strong-willed as ever. And that is what I love about her. Through all the negativity life has thrown her way, she is remarkably tough and full of life. Just like the teenage trouble-maker, grown-up Ophelia doesn’t let anything stop her. She still goes on trips with her children and enjoys music festivals with her husband, she still tries to fix everyone else’s problems, she still cooks 20,000 pounds of food when she gets the chance and doesn’t accept help carrying it.
My aunt Ophelia is possibly the strongest woman I know and I will never be able to thank her enough for the impact she has had on my life. I can hear her when I defend myself or someone I love. I can hear her when I make a dirty joke. I can hear her when her daughter says she knows she is beautiful. She may be one woman and she may not be in anyone’s history books, but my Aunt Ophelia is a woman to be grateful for.