Over the last few days, people on Twitter have been sharing their tweets about ten women that have inspired them. Today, I joined the crowd. But I couldn’t let it end with tagging them. Here’s a little more:
- Stacey S.– A former colleague in education turned MBA grad who now works in the non-profit world a few hours away.
- What I’ve learned from you is that power is confidence, food and drink is life, and friendship can range from a book recommendation before a plane ride to a breakfast while in town.
- Stacey R.– A librarian colleague who doesn’t work in the same district nor at the same level, but the connection is undeniable.
- What I’ve learned from you is that passion and purpose make our profession (and matching leggings to her 2nd graders is just a bonus on why I love her).
- Kristen– I’ve already written about her before, but I’ll never get sick of talking about her.
- What I’ve learned from you is that we can be serious, be silly, and be good at what we do… together. And encouragement always helps; matching our outfits is just a bonus.
- Silvia– A librarian and entrepreneur, she speaks her mind and shares the beauty of the place that I have come to call home but that has always been hers.
- What I’ve learned from you is to never wait if you want to travel. Live a life of abundance in food, style, and merriment.
- Ruta– An author of hidden histories with a powerful pen and a big heart.
- What I’ve learned from you is that listening has the power to give a voice to the voiceless.
- Molly– I’ve known you less than a year but I know you love what you do in a banana costume or hosting an author.
- What I’ve learned from you is loving what you do makes it that much easier to work and that book criticism comes easy for some– your mind is like a steel trap!
- Annie– Stepping in to an administrative position was the next logical step for you and you’ll shine for sure.
- What I’ve learned from you is that leadership is kindness and knowledge is power because learning never stops.
- Lisa– Your work can’t be easy but your wordsmithing skills are superb.
- What I’ve learned from you is that hard work as a team is easier than going at it alone.
- Heather– My oldest friend. And ironically one who also works in education but in a different field but with the same goals to be good at what we do and inspire others to do the same while impacting young lives.
- What I’ve learned from you is that women should never be in competition with each other. We should spend our energy building each other up and that takes time and an investment.
- Alea– Leading a committee of fabulous women who were once strangers and giving us direction and guidance from afar couldn’t have been easy. But you did it.
- What I learned from you is that leadership is quiet but it can also be loud: use your voice. (And give the best damn present ever– I still get misty-eyed looking at mine).
Think about the women in your life and how they inspire you.
We should all spend a little more time thinking about what we’re grateful for. And, rolling in to the Thanksgiving season, it is the perfect time to stop and think about. And sometimes you just need a old-school chain tweet to remind you about it too.
And it’s the likes of illustrator Zeke Peña combined with the words of Isabel Quintero that merge Iturbide’s photography with an illustrated style that brings it to life two-fold. The most memorable panel, the one in which Peña re-works the iconic woman with the iguanas side by side with the photograph courtesy of Getty Images, is striking. And there are other panels that captivate the reader in their presentation and solidifies Peña’s skill both individually and collaboratively working with Quintero’s storytelling. Plus, the font itself worked seamlessly for my eyeballs to move around the pages and panels. Even Peña recognizes the beauty of illustrations by thanking readers “you and your eyeballs for reading this book”. You’re welcome, Peña. Thank you for illustrating it. And it got me thinking about my own life at thirty-something– how would Peña draw mine? What would Quintero write about me? Perhaps the best kind of self-reflective writing prompts could come from this book.
Here were some of my favorites to discuss:
