Don't Forget Who Got You Here.
My beautiful mother (Jaye Garnett) and I at the fair
My beautiful mother and I, about 13 years later to the left.
My mother. What can I say about this truly incredible woman pictured above. Sometimes, I get emotional just trying to explain how much I love this amazing woman. I could write a book about her, but for the sake of a reasonable blog-length, I will be brief. My mother is emotionally strong as a bull. She is my superhero. Her charismatic attitude towards life and her family (and her little bitty baby dogs) is indescribable. This woman has the biggest heart. She wows me every day. Her goofy laugh (which very much resembles that of Scooby Doo) makes me laugh and remember how grateful I am to be her daughter. I love my Mumma.
This incredible woman is my grandmother, (Grammy) Claire Jennings, 77, doing one of the things she loves most: eating. Don't ask me where she puts it all, she has the biggest appetite in our family! Not to mention she had SIX kids. Six. She is the most amazing person I have ever met in my 19 years of existence on this earth. This woman helped raise me and continues to help raise me. I love her so much. She is most commonly known as the coupon lady, as in her younger days, she was a master of using coupons. I swear she could give the people on the show "Extreme Couponing" on TLC a run for their money. She is so intelligent and every time I see her, I smile because I know that one day, I will grow up to be a mentor to my granddaughter as well.
The two most important women in my life. They have helped shape the woman I am today.
Singer Aretha Franklin, whose music my mother American feminist, activist and poet Gloria
and I listened to when I was a child and whose Steinem, who spoke at Smith College yesterday
words continue to inspire me She is one of my new-found role models
http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2009/01/30/ http://feministcurrent.com/4814/gloria-steinem-
the-smithsonian-institution-requests-aretha-franklins- supports-the-nordic-model/
inauguration-hat/
This woman is my new role model, Kushangika Nawaratne from Sri Lanka, a Project Coordinator for the Centre for the Study of Human Rights at the University of Colombo. Kushangika has such a strong and big heart. Whenever anyone needs help, she goes out of her way to help others, unasked. She loves to help others and reach out to everyone. She has strong ethics, as she wants to be a judge to prevent the corruption that goes on in the government. I have no doubt in my mind that she will bring about change in her country, as she has done in my life in the two weeks in which I have known her. She has opened her heart to me and I feel very happy to have met her.
Yesterday, I was reminded of the importance of recognizing those who have made me the person I am today because of the networking session facilitated by Stacy Blake-Beard, Professor of Management at Simmons College. Therefore, I decided to make a post dedicated to the women in my life that have shaped me into the woman I am today.
As a disclaimer, this list of women is not complete and it does not even include the men in my life that have inspired me as well. I have too many role models and mentors to name or count, but a few of the men include my father, John Garnett, who is a goofy, easy-going man who reminds me what it means to laugh. I attended Exeter High School in Exeter, New Hampshire, where I met several of my role models. My high school AP English teacher Ryan Hale reminded me of my voice and my passion for writing, for which I am very thankful. My high school newspaper teacher Robert Schneider taught me how to have a thick skin, how to meet strict deadlines and most importantly how important journalism is today. My high school varsity volleyball coach Michael McDonnell taught me how to believe in my abilities and be confident in myself. Chris Gardner and the movie The Pursuit of Happyness in which his story is depicted, opened my eyes to my potential when I was 12-years-old.
I have met so many people in my life that have shaped who I am today and I think that Professor Blake-Beard was right, it is important to show appreciation for the people who have touched your life and influenced you.
Who has impacted your life? Think about it.
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