Monday Madness: Women Role Models in My Life

Recently I was asked to name my role model. It wasn't an easy question. I don't have one role model, I have several, many of them women that inspired me to be who I am in my chosen field of wife and mother:

In no particular order, but starting with the most important influence on my decision to be a wife and mother:

• My mom. My mother is the main reason why I knew exactly what I wanted to do from the time I was little. I can remember being as young as 3-5 years old, gazing at my mom doing something and thinking, "I want to be just like her when I'm a big person." No, my mom wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for me.

• My grandmas on my dad side. My grandma and great-grandma were important in showing me how to do things that would later help me become a wife especially. How to manage my home and help make ends meet. My great-grandma could stretch a dime till it cried in protest and I loved hearing her stories of how God helped her family get through the Depression.

• My grandma on my mom's side showed me that despite the time frame she was raised in where women were not encouraged to go to college, they could. I made the choice not to go to college but hearing her stories of how she would drive a couple hours every day to get to her classes at the University and get her teaching degree taught me that I had it in me to persevere. She also instilled in me the desire to teach, but not to a whole classroom, to my children. I remember visiting her classroom a couple times when I was in Elementary school and thinking, "I want to teach..."

• This might sound weird, but my own daughters. There are times I look at them and think, "I want to be like you when I grow up..." My oldest daughter is so much more mature spiritually and emotionally than I was at her age. By the time I was almost 19 I had turned my back on God feeling that He had given up on me and my mistakes. My 16-year-old is so much more outgoing and self-confident in what she wants than I am even now! She has been independent since the time she could crawl! My 14 year old learned how to deal with depression and anxiety two years ago by going to the source of her strength, her faith in Christ. When I went through it at her age, I didn't think to tell anyone, not even God what was scaring me or causing me to panic and be sad. My almost 13-year old is so sympathetic to the causes of everyone, she takes after me so much in that area. She is so much better in fighting for others than I was at her age. I was so worried about what other people thought of me that I was scared to stand up for others. She FIGHTS for others, where I just worried.

There are so many others, I honestly don't know where I would end if I didn't stop now. That being said, I thank the Lord for each one of these women that have shaped my life!


Until next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi
Numbers 6:24-26