We are Woman

My grandmother, Adeline Pratt,  wore the pants in the family. When we visited as children, she reminded us to put our clothes away and our suitcases under the bed.  She could have easily been one of the military's top white glove inspectors. She also led by example.  Her house shone, but more importantly, so did her personality.  Grandmom was a doer. If she wasn't reading, she was knitting, taking care of plants, weeding the garden, playing games with us, telling stories, playing the piano, or-of course-cleaning. I don't think she knew how to stay still even into her 90's. She never missed Mass, but neither did she preach at us. She lived as a role model. And oh, how we would all laugh when we got together!  Grandmom would laugh so hard, she'd say, "Oh no, I'm going to wet my pants!"  We laughed until we cried, and we continue that "tradition" today, whenever two or more of us are together. Though my house will never look like hers--I somehow did NOT inherit the "tidy" gene--I did learn many lessons from Grandmom: integrity, tenacity, and the idea that laughter always makes everything better.

Elizabeth Rice, my mom, taught me to be colorblind. Even though when she was growing up, she wasn't allowed to date Italian boys (oh, my!), we were raised to believe we were all the same "on the inside," and that's what counted. Mom was our Girl Scout leader, and I remember very clearly her saying things like, "Go over there and invite the little girl with the pink ribbon to join your group." It wasn't, "Go invite the Hispanic girl or the  Black girl or the handicapped girl." Lifelong friendships were formed in that Girl Scout Troop. Mom also taught me that it's never too late to do something new. After our father died at 42, Mom went back to school, earning both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Social Work. She took her can-do spirit and created a program for widows and widowers, a program that continues today, long after she retired. At 82 years young, she's still going strong.

My sister, Jane Bye,  taught me about independence and standing up for that which I believe. Sometimes I was afraid for her when she stood up to our iron fisted father, but I also admired that she would. She worked on George McGovern's campaign when she was in high school, and would come home excitedly talking about our next president. I remember how sad she was when he didn't win, but that began her lifelong involvement in politics and particularly in the Peace and Justice movement.

My daughters and daughter-in-law, Kristinn, Jordan, Alana, Rachel, and Vicki, have also taught me so much. They work hard and play hard. They are amazing mothers and aunts, who join me in loving all of my grandchildren fiercely. They've taught me that women can be anything they want to be, that age is irrelevant especially when it comes to clothes (for example, I shouldn't dress like an "old lady"), that I don't have to live in the shadow of any man, that joy surrounds me and should be embraced. So, I do. I embrace each day, encompassed by the love, joy and laughter that the women in my family bring. And boy, do they bring it!