Making History

By Mary Grace Musuneggi

Take a moment to remember the many women who have had an impact on our lives, our society, and our world. Some are famous…or infamous. There are classical women and modern women. Some that always come to mind for me are Madame Curie, Helen Keller, and Florence Nightingale, as these were the few women I was taught about in school in my early education. As I grew older I learned to admire Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Diane, Mother Theresa, and Eleanor Roosevelt…didn’t we all? It wasn’t until the civil rights movement and the women’s movement that I learned about Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan. And there are so many more women who have made a difference, but whose names will never be household words.

More importantly, there are those women who have influenced our personal lives. For me those would be my mother, my Aunt Mary, Sr. Theresa Marie, friends, family, and business associates. My world is all it is due to the love of good friends and the “kindness of strangers.” There are so many women I admire because they have imparted their knowledge to me or been excellent examples of successful businesswomen, amazing mothers, and/or community leaders.

But while these women have been influencing our world, what have we been doing to influence others? We all have a responsibility to impact the world around us. And little do we know that by our mere presence here, we are influencing a small piece of it. You are an example to your children and to your co-workers. Could you be a mentor to a student…volunteer to make a women’s group more viable…share your knowledge and talents with others…leave a legacy so your goodwill lives on long after you?

We must be grateful for those women who have made history and go out into the world and make history of our own.