relationships
LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE, AND WITH A PURPOSE by Erin McCormack
The women who have come before us have shaped us into who we are today.
Princess Dianna, Laura Secord, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Anne Frank, Hellen Keller, Anne Sullivan, Amelia Earhart, Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, Jane Goodall, JK Rowling, Sojourner All women with a legacy intact for generations to come. Each wielding stories of empathy, bravery, compassion, and endurance. Every woman’s story, interestingly enough, cemented in time stemming from survival, passion, or morality. Legacy is a personal journey. The thought, reality, or weight of its meaning sprinkled through time during pinnacle moments in our lives. From the first time we ask the innocent question “Where do babies come from?” We have moments of wondering what our purpose is in this life.
Women’s History Unlike men throughout history, most women did not pursue the position of leaving a great legacy; the dream of our name going down in history. Women tend to, still today, be helpers. Helping our spouses through supporting their vocations, helping elderly family members, helping children rise up to be functioning members of society. Even “women’s” occupations historically have been helpers: secretary, switchboard operator, customer service, nurse. We have been designed to take on all the burdens of life and make
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everything just work out by creating a flow or rhythm in our homes and at work. When looking at the legacies left to us from the women in our lives, they tend to be of recipes, life lessons, picture albums, and compassion. Many women find fulfillment of purpose in raising children and helping them leave their mark. Because of this, typically not falling into a type of midlife crisis, as many men do. Women who have left legacies that are remembered by the masses were all not your typical conforming woman. They endured resistance and they pushed harder. They had goals, needed to see change happen, and their morals or values of injustice were stronger than the potential consequences of their actions. They pushed the boundary of what was expected of them, and they persevered. We are eternally grateful to every single woman who has fought for injustice, whether they have their names recorded or not, as shining examples of the gumption we are all capable. However, legacy defined by the entire world knowing our name, is not an enthusiastic goal to every person.
