Women Who Shaped My History

I subscribe to the Smithsonian magazine. This is a great magazine if you enjoy history. This month’s smithsonian.com features a slide show on the achievement of women through the decades. It is a great piece.

“In honor of women’s history month, we have chosen one significant event from each decade over the past century. Each event recognizes the achievements of women in all facets of life who moved history forward”. Click on this link: Begin slideshow >

After viewing the slide show, I thought about how strong and tough these women must have been. I have an affinity towards strong women. It must be my upbringing. Each of the women below should be included in the slide show as well, for through the decades they have helped shape my life.

My Grandmother, Selma Mallace was a very strong and progressive woman. She died a few years back when she was in her early 90’s. She lived through the depression, graduated college, and was a teacher, an artist and a very astute investor. She invested in both the stock market and real-estate and did quite well. She was a woman who was born ahead of her time. If she were alive and in her prime today, she would be like my wife Fran, running a large company.

My mother, Judy is strong as well, but in other ways. She is a solid leader, having been a camp director, social worker, director of a senior center, mother of two boys, wife and for many years a partner with my father, working in the family business. My mother is a great seller too, she could go toe-to-toe with anyone and does not take anyone’s Shit. She is also a pillar of strength; she has been faced with adversity through out her life. She lost her mother when she was 13 years old and has had to deal with my father’s health issues throughout the years, including heart attacks, bypass surgeries, kidney surgeries etc. On a number of occasions, she ran the business while my father was in the hospital and at home recuperating.

Fran, my wife is a modern day version of my grandmother, with a little bit of my mother sprinkled in. Fran is a Great leader, Intellect a visionary in business and world matters, she’s philanthropic, not only with her financial support, but with her time and expertise. She is a juggler who balances work with family, friends, fun and arts and crafts.

Like my mother, Fran is a pillar of strength. In August of 2005 Fran started her Executive International MBA program at Thunderbird International School of Management. At the same time, my father in-law who was in his 80’s and had been living with us for many years, health took a sudden turn for the worse. Fran ran her business (Cox Media) cared for her father before he passed away, went to school two days a week every other week (maintaining a near perfect 4.0 GPA) and was a mom who still managed to attended parent teacher conferences and field trips. Fran never missed a beat and graduated Thunderbird last May.

These three women, all from different generations, helped shape my history….