Heroines

Since it is National Women’s History month, Jeanne at A Bluestocking Knits celebrated her heroines in a post a few days ago. This got me thinking...who are my heroines? This was always a question I puzzled over in elementary school. While the other kids shouted out famous names, I always drew a blank. Somehow, all those great thinkers and scientists and other “do-ers” seemed entirely too distant for me to even begin to think about relating to them. While I did find their accomplishments impressive and even awe-inspiring, there was a disconnect between that wanting to “be like them one day.” In the years since then, though, I have come to realize that I do have a heroine, someone who always inspires me to do better and to fulfill my dreams. That person is my mother. Like many immigrant parents, she pulled up roots and gave up her career to move somewhere with an entirely foreign language and culture just so that I would have greater opportunities in life. Mom has always been a stalwart presence in my life, the one who tells me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and encourages me to do just that, all else be damned. In fact, the first time I was asked, as a woman in science, how I had withstood the societal pressure against those of my gender taking the education and career path that I have chosen, I was flummoxed. Mom had so well ingrained the concept of “you can accomplish anything” in my head that it never even occurred to me that a girl would have to modify her goals just because other people raised their eyebrows, much less feel inferior and less capable because of her gender. Of course, in the grand scheme of the universe, my mother is just a mother, but for me, I wouldn’t be me without her. So, that’s the heroine I will be celebrating this month.
Today’s splash of red is from the necklace I made for her up-coming birthday.


(Actual knitting content tomorrow, I promise. Here is a peek at my new scarf-in-progress.)