BlogHer - mentors - Comments

Thanks for telling us Clara's story!

Suzanne Reisman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:10:24 -0500

She is truly an inspiration, and I'm glad that something interesting came from your jury service! the excuses people come up with to keep women from participating in society completely amaze me. If only we could focus half that creativity toward something productive...

Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Oth

how lovely

Mata H — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:30:06 -0500

What a great response -- and what a fine picture with which to begin your day!

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Thank You

fmaggi — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:04:37 -0500

Because I don't like to celebrate these 'card' holidays, I have often thought of the women who influenced me in some way...many famous characters, like Rhoda or Mary Tyler Moore or even Lucille Ball. But, it's true, it's your 4th Grade Teacher for making learning fun, it was my mom's feminist friend, the incredibly skilled soccer coaches, my best friends' mother for just letting it all hang out, my wise, witty & weird best girlfriend for always being true to herself, and my grandmother for having the guts to globetrot -- well before the divorce!

And, each year, I now pay a tribute on mother's day to all my single-mom friends. These are the ones who chose to have or adopt on their own. They are my true inspiration. How these courageous souls manage to juggle the careers and the kids and still have time to laugh, travel and take on the world is beyond me.

And finally, I start my day each day with a picture of two Bangladeshi women, huddling in the torrential rain underneath an umbrella. It puts it all back in perspective because I know, when the rain passes, they'll somehow manage to pick up their produce, walk to what they call home, and carry on preparing the family meal.

francesca maggi

burntbythetuscansun

kazari, thanks!

Mata H — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:22:25 -0500

You are surely awash in blessings there ....thanks for introducing us to your heroines.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

what a super list

Mata H — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:20:44 -0500

Youare surrounded by heroines! It's great that you are holding them up to the light.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

too many to count?

kazari — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:49:07 -0500

there were two teachers at high school (biology and history). together they set the tone for my ongoing self-education. and my wending path through 'career'.

one friend from primary school, and two from work, with whom being geeky, intelligent, opinionated and interested in word games makes me exhilarated, not apologetic. they know more stupid facts than me.

my sisters. who remember who i am, when i forget, or am lost under something else.

my god mother - for the gentle reminders that family is there. and the best lived-in relationship advice. she lives it.

What an interesting exercise!

nelle2nelle — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:38:32 -0500

My sister would count as a player in my life. Once past the years of sibling contrariness, she has always been there for me. Older sisters are simply priceless.

There would be one nun from the eighth grade, and embarrassingly her name has long since escaped me... but she certainly played a role in my passion for change and overcoming social issues.

There was Anjude, a current events teacher in senior year. Someone who gave us a forum, a place where we expressed our views, unhindered.

Dr B, my first year of college - my first lessons in feminism, she was the spark that has stayed with me to this day.

Joan M, from whom I learned to save the work struggles for the really important issues, not every issue.

Toni F, giving a shit about your employees is a beautiful thing. Under 5', but she stands 8 feet tall in my book.

Those I've met through cyberspace, then in reality...

Someone who 'occasionally' *cough* hangs around these parts... it's ok to be who you are, stop hiding from yourself, stop hiding from the truth, stop hiding the truth. And dammit, she is a telepath.

INW, who's own courage to stand proud also shoved me further down the coming out pathway.

MB, who woke my spiritual world, an increasingly important part of me. Not to mention something as simple as teaching to walk away from anger. And eerily, no one comes closer to my outlook on life and on the world.

Finally, met in cyberspace, never in reality...

Lydia, who forced me to face leftover baggage of my Catholic
upbringing. Yes nelle, some of us do believe in goddess. Sue Monk Kidd
picked up where she left off, but it was Lydia who first got me to look
past the ingrained lessons of another time.

nelle

carol --

Mata H — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:35:11 -0500

So true -- among us all can be found acts of personal heroism, actions that keep the fabric of life from coming unraveled - and real praise is due for the unsung.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs at Time's Fool

In the Everyday Moments

Graceful Parenting — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:05:48 -0500

Whenever there is someone on the news for a rare and miraculous deed, I think that what is more important are the every day, unseen choices people make like committing to your marriage even when it is really hard, being patient with your kids when they are making you crazy or taking the time to do something for others when your own life is so busy.

My thoughts today aren't for specific Moms, but for all the Moms that do this in everyday life without being interviewed as a hero on the 5 o'clock news.

Carol Marie Ramsey
Finding balance and peace in parenting at Graceful Parenting

Awestruck

Csamuels — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:25:51 -0500

Cynthia Samuels, Partner
Cobblestone Associates, LLP
Blog and Media Strategies and Content Development Online and on Television
http:dontgelyet.typepad.com/dontgeltoosoon

Jen I am so overwhelmed by your mention of me. Here I am sitting in Our Nation's Capital grateful to you for accepting me as a sister blogger when I had just begun and was nowhere near sure I even WAS one. (By the way, Jory was another who did that.) You treated me as a peer and sister from the beginning, helped me navigate the technology and helped me see myself as a legit member of this remarkable community. So you speaking this way about me is astonishing and wonderful. All the faith you say I have in you is well-founded -- I used to be a reporter so I check my facts.

When my kids were really little they learned a song (it was a progressive school) - that included this verse " Love is something if you give it away, Give it away, give it away.
Love is something if you give it away, You end up having more." Guess that's us.....

We need that support system as parents

jaycee — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:27:38 -0500

When I heard about Britney on the news yesterday I wondered about her support system, and thought that she mustn't really have one. I feel really sad for her as she obviously needs help at the moment.

I've got a pretty good support base. As a sole parent I'm really glad I've got that. I must admit I do find it hard to reach out when I'm feeling particularly down but when I've told some of my closest friends after a down episode they've been retrospectively supportive and said to call them next time.

Since I've been blogging, and sometimes blogging about how damn hard parenting can be, some fellow bloggers have been super supportive. It must run in the DesJardins family as to how wonderful they are, because Jory's mum Joy has said some wonderfully supportive things to me over the last couple of years.

I like that you've said to ask if we need a mentor or a support system here. For those of us who do have a pretty good support system in place, it's good to give back.

Jen at Semantically driven and Safari suit