The Women in My Life

People walk in and out of our lives as its part of the way our society operates but every now and than you meet people who stay with you forever. Perhaps not literally, but what you learned from them, and their expectations of you are imbedded in your mind and their face burned into your heart. I suppose everyone has at least one person like that, a mentor, a friend, a parent, a teacher, someone that they can turn to, or remember. I suppose in a sense I got lucky, I have so many people in my life and just now I am realizing it. Sure there are those who have saved my life and made me this so called lovely young lady of seventeen, but there are those who weren’t always around but still played a part. This is for all of them…

As a young girl growing up in affluent area it was not surprise that I had luxury items from the get go, in other words I’ve been pretty much spoiled since the day I was born. Yet in an area such as this, a young girl needs good role models, to understand that there’s more to life than having children, that women are strong. The women in my life are all strong in their own ways, and they all have their weakness, however hidden they may be. Some have been there since the beginning, some have just recently arrived on the scene but they have all given to me gifts that I could not in a million years ever repay.

The first being my mother, I can’t say I know her well enough to say anything nasty about her, although I’m sure if I thought hard enough I could find something. The woman did bring me into this world and does have the power to take me out. I suppose its because of her that I have been influenced by so many other people. She paid for the dance lessons, she got a nanny, she made sure I went to a good school, and so on.

The second, and some I don’t often think about would be my Aunt Nancy. She’s not biologically my aunt but in every other sense she is. She and her husband have their own business and in place of children they have two terriers, my fluffy cousins. Nancy always has time for her friends and family even amongst her huge workload. She buries herself in her business but always comes out for birthdays and holidays and other special occasions. I think by watching Nancy I’ve learned how I can maybe develop my own family without my own children but be a cool aunt like her, and be as motherly as possible.

In terms of motherly, I do have another mother, Lynn. She was my nanny for five very long years, and probably the most impressionable too. I met her when I was three years old and according to her was the tinniest three year old and most well versed, (also my mother’s doing). Lynn and I did not always get along; as a matter of fact I spent quite a lot of time in the time out chair, which surprisingly corrected my behavior very fast. Lynn left to become a nurse, which she is quite good at, and still practices. We talk from time to time. I must admit that part of my manners do come from her. We would have fancy dinner night once a week where my sister and I would dress up nicely and have dinner with all the silverware and stuff like that. Lynn always made sure we knew how to have fun, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve found that those lessons don’t go away.

If we’re going chronologically, we meet Karen. Karen is a piece of work. She owns the dance studio where I have attended rather religiously for the past 14 years of my life. Talk about a long time to know a person... and she does, what a surprise. I used to be pretty scared of Karen, she towered over me, still does, and she was an amazing dancer. I could never compare or measure up. I think from Karen I get that overwhelming desire to disobey authority. Karen is never afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind. She occasionally tries to be politically correct but more often than not you hear Karen. She invited me into the dance company and I have to say I was more than honored. I didn’t deserve to be there, I was not nearly as good as the other girls, but still I received an invitation. For whatever reason she saw something there, perhaps a ballerina that was willing to try new things, but I’m not positive. Karen has made some decisions that others might consider bad or waste of time or death wishes, but she’s dealt with all of them. I don’t think she’s ever regretted them either.

Shelley came right along with Karen. She was my ballet teacher and it was no surprise I would like her. I had at one point entertained the idea of being a prima ballerina and Shelley was pretty damn close. She was amazing to watch, as a matter of fact most of the time I’d be too busy watching her in general to actually notice the step I was supposed to be learning. The last few years I’ve spent with Shelley have taught me that people are not supposed to be alone but that even the sweetest can be burned. Shelley is by far the sweetest person I’ve ever met. The only thing I don’t like is that she’s a bare nazi and actually enjoys pileas and frappe practice, evil things. I knew, as I got older I would be able to dance with her, which I’m currently unworthy of, but I have had the pleasure of dancing with her in class and it is fun. Shelley also brought out a piece of me that had been hidden away; she made me realize that I have compassion for others and I’m not that bad at giving advice.

It was in giving advice that I found my way to two very special young ladies, Hannah and Sarajane, and their mother, Meg. Hannah is the oldest of three and her sister and brother can really try an older sister. In all the time I have known her I have only ever seen her grow into a caring and selfless young lady. She spends time with her siblings, and yet knows how to have a good time. Her sister, Sarajane, is a young lady with the determination of a grown person. She can be strong willed and it is that will that has brought her wisdom. She doesn’t give up easily and is always there to cheer you up if you are depressed. Meg I suppose is what we would call a super mom, and she is. Her heart is so big that she has room to love all her children and the rest of the neighborhoods. Almost all the kids at least come by to play once during a week. She has even threatened to adopt me as well, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. I don’t know how she does, by being a mother, a wife, and know she substitute teaches in the school district, which honestly can be harder than be a teacher sometimes. From them I have learned to be a lot more affectionate and realized that I’m not so bad with kids.

Although I love kids, I would never like some of my own so I found my way to the Aquarium, where I came to meet many other women just as strong and influential. Lisa, my oh so wonderful boss, who is quite the explorer and traveler. She’s also a really hard worker but always manages to take time to chat with anyone who might happen to instant message her. Lisa has faced things that I could not dream about and she still manages to function and move with her life. I wish I had learned that. At the aquarium I also met Vicky, who showed me just what it takes to do well in the field. Vicky never stops working, and I’m pretty sure she runs through seal feedings in her sleep. Yet she knows how to have a good time. I think in meeting her I found a balance between work and play and even how to turn work into play. Through my work there I met Amy, who quickly showed me the ropes on making a study and all the work that goes into analyzing results, which is quite a bit. With Amy, I can see myself, still learning new things, and trying so hard to make everything just work. She is also a hard worker and funny. She loves her job and I think that’s the most important thing I’d ever learned. You really have to love what you do or else it doesn’t matter.

Really loving what you do may be why I see so many good things in all these women. Some have weakness that I see to clearly and others have weakness because they are human and I’ve only been given a glimpse of them on rare occasions. Of course there is one, whom I know she has a weakness, but I doubt I shall ever see it.

She doesn’t have to be named, anyone who knows me would know who she is. She’s perfect, well at least as close to perfect as one can be. I can defiantly say that most of who I have become today is because of the things I have learned from her. I guess you could say that everyone has someone they wish they could be, I don’t wish to be exactly like her, I just wish I were as good a person. She always has time to do what she loves to do as well as her job and she’s good at her job. She also loves what she does, despite how she may at times complain about it. I think the best way to sum this up is that she taught me how to go after what I want in life. I have a very negative image of this whole grand design, and she was the one who made me realize its life, its not always what you want, so go change it. I guess this the way I change things.