Women inspire me. I find their lives compelling. Their words and stories are full of wisdom—like this one:
Ellen was one of several elderly ladies who joined me daily in the pool for water aerobics. She was ninety-eight when she passed away. Whenever I don’t feel like putting on my swimsuit and going to the pool, I think of Ellen. She never failed to show up and give her best. I asked her once what made her come every day and she said, “I don’t think about it. It’s what I do.”
This gem of sagacity inspires me.
Perhaps because I was once a reporter and tend to ask leading questions, but I am often amazed at how much information women will share with me. The secret is listening to them with genuine interest. They like to share their life stories, complete with self-reflection, heartache, and humor.
One day at a busy coffee shop an elderly woman asked if she could share my table. I commented on her accent. She told me she grew up in Germany during World War II. I asked a simple question and struck gold. “What was that like?”
She told me the German army had occupied her village. They confiscated all the food and livestock, leaving the villagers to scavenge as best they could. Her mother kept her close out of fear of the soldiers. The villagers faced starvation and some were shot while defending their homes. They were not Jews. They were Protestant Germans. They were casualties of war. I had never heard this perspective before.
I call these snippets of women’s lives my gems. I hoard them in my journal to use in the future. I am continually inspired by the stories women tell, what they value, what they are willing to share.
I write them down. I don’t think about it. It is what I do.