MIghty Queens

[Stephanie]

Who are the Mighty Queens in your life? What have you learned from them?

[Hillabeans69]

My mightiest Queen, like the book, is also my mom and friends.  From the I've learned compassion, strength, patience & most of all fun.  Without these queens I don't know if I would have the strength to grow as a person.

[emeraldisle]

I think I am much like Amy, with a mother and daughter who have profoundly influenced my life. My mother , who at, 93, still says "I am a woman of the future!". She has adapted to many tough changes in her life and has always looked forward. Right now, she's excited about and busy packing to move to a new retirement community. My daughter, who is 27, has learned so much from my mother's and my lives. She has overcome some trials she never should have had to bear. But she moved forward and is independent, caring and also a woman of the future.

[cocospals]

My Mighty Queens would have to be my mother and grandmother. My grandmother taught me independence, she was a short, fiesty little Italian who really stood very, very tall.  My mother taught me so many things but I guess the most important lession she taught me was to have fun and to laugh at myself. I was on the swim team as a child and she would always ask me after a meet if I had a good time and then we would go for ice cream. As my children were growing up, after their hockey games good or bad, I would always remember to ask them if they had fun.

[kayJ]

I mentioned in another post that I am the youngest of 7 girls and 2 boys. I was influenced by my older sisters and 4 spinster aunts that lived near by. My mom was the main Queen in my life because she had and still does have more of an even tone to how she views life. At 90 she is still a mover and a shaker living at her own home.

[Wrighty]

I am lucky enough to have two groups of Mighty Queens in my life. In my family we have such strong women. I have an incredible mother, grandmothers, great aunts, aunts, sister-in-laws and cousins who have overcome so much including becoming widows, horrible life threatening diseases, having sick children and other challenges. No one ever complains they all just do what it takes to get through and carry on. And it's always with a sense of humor, a huge dose of love, suppport and compassion.

I also have a strong group of friends who have supported each other for many years. Most of us went to school together and later started a weekly meeting taking turns at each other's houses to chat, snack, make crafts or anything else we felt like doing for a few hours. We've seen each other through marriages, divorces, children being born and then going off to college, illnesses, deaths, career changes...you name it we've done it. When something comes up we are quick to take care of each other, bring meals, drive to Dr. appts.,babysit, hold hands, celebrate and cry with. They have helped me through 20 years of ups and downs and I've been there for them. I have been blessed to have both sets of these amazing women in my life.

[vivico1]

Now Wrighty, that is indeed some "mighty queens"! May I say I do envy you I have my small pocket of friends too, only one who I have known for over 20 years now and she keeps threatening to move half the country away when she takes an early retirement! That is something I am dreading even now!

---

Wrighty wrote:

I am lucky enough to have two groups of Mighty Queens in my life. In my family we have such strong women. I have an incredible mother, grandmothers, great aunts, aunts, sister-in-laws and cousins who have overcome so much including becoming widows, horrible life threatening diseases, having sick children and other challenges. No one ever complains they all just do what it takes to get through and carry on. And it's always with a sense of humor, a huge dose of love, suppport and compassion.

I also have a strong group of friends who have supported each other for many years. Most of us went to school together and later started a weekly meeting taking turns at each other's houses to chat, snack, make crafts or anything else we felt like doing for a few hours. We've seen each other through marriages, divorces, children being born and then going off to college, illnesses, deaths, career changes...you name it we've done it. When something comes up we are quick to take care of each other, bring meals, drive to Dr. appts.,babysit, hold hands, celebrate and cry with. They have helped me through 20 years of ups and downs and I've been there for them. I have been blessed to have both sets of these amazing women in my life.

---

[songbirdz]

My "Mighty Queen" is actually my 3 year old daughter, lol.

From the moment she was born, she's taught me how to be more patient and confident in myself. I've always been shy, and generally introverted, but I liked things to be done right now. I've since learned to slow down and enjoy the moment. I've learned that I'm going to care for a child, I needed to be more outspoken, whether it's a concern at the doctors, if I need someone to stop swearing in front of her (if I didn't, she'd be a pint sized potty mouthed trucker!) etc.

If I get a little hot headed, she tells me to "just calm mom, calm down." Plus, there's no such thing as loving TOO much. A little hug or a smooch always brightens my day. A smile also goes a long way as well.

All simple things, but she keeps me in check, and I honestly believe she's made me into a better woman, lol. 

[pcsmama5]

My Mighty Queens would have to be my three daughters, ages 31, 30 and almost 20.  These girls have courage and confidence that I never did and that I envy to this day.  My eldest daughter has just had her third child (last week!).  Along the way, she has founded two very successful hair salons, earned her teaching degree, substitute taught (almost said "teached!"), while raising two other (ages 4 and 8) very busy, healthy, happy, confident children.  Daughter #2 has just earned her master's degree as a physician's assistant and works for the organ donor program at the University of Texas in San Antonio.  Along the way, she has served in the US Air Force, earned her undergrad, worked full-time as an organ donor procurement coordinator, and moved to Florida for a period to obtain her master's, all while supporting herself.  Both girls paid for their own educations since their father and I are in no position to do so.  Daughter #3 is the manager at another local salon at age 19.  She is sassy, funny, self-confident.  My girls are my personal heroes.  I love my two boys dearly, but my girls are all the things I wish I could have been.

[bermudaonion]

That's an easy question for me.  My maternal grandmother immigrated from Lithuania.  She married another immigrant and never learned to speak English well.  She was widowed young, but managed to hold on to 2 houses during the depression.  She had 5 children and 3 of them went to college.  She worked harder than anyone else I've ever known in my life.

[kozmo]

My "Mighty Queen"  would have to be my mother.  I don't think I ever had enough respect for her when I was growing up.  Now that I have two young children and a full time job, I realize what it takes to raise a family and manage all of the other day to day tasks that have to be done.  Every day I find myself being more and more like her and appreciating her more.

[vivico1]

Now see! You have told me in those few words why your grandmother was a "mighty queen" and you told us a lot in those few words! (I would also like to say, I agree with you about your grandmother, she does seem a mighty woman ) We needed a few more little stories like that in this book about the women in Amy's life who were called "mighty queens", to understand why she says they are!

---

bermudaonion wrote:
That's an easy question for me. My maternal grandmother immigrated from Lithuania. She married another immigrant and never learned to speak English well. She was widowed young, but managed to hold on to 2 houses during the depression. She had 5 children and 3 of them went to college. She worked harder than anyone else I've ever known in my life.

---

[tabcat]

My mother (77yrs) and my aunt (89yrs).  My aunt lived next door when I was growing up and she reared her son while working and keeping a home for her father and grandmother.  She taught me how to dance, always told me I could be anything I wanted, even Miss America...ha-ha, and inspired my love for books. She also taught me my first swear word, oops!

Both my mother and aunt live independently and my mother mows her own yard, gardens, and quilts.  She is fantastic!  I saw my mother in Amy when Amy's then fiancé only half cut down the sapling in their yard and Amy went back out to finish the job. 
Teresa

[shopdaisy]

The Mighty Queens in my life would be my mom and my 2-1/2 year old daughter.  My mom especially as she has taught me to always have an open heart and mind.  No matter where I have been in my life, anytime I needed to go home, she was always there with open arms to take me in and support me in any decisions I have made.   She is not only my mother but my best friend.  I have learned that I want others to know they can count on me and that my home and heart is always open to them.  She has taught me that being a women is a blessed thing, that we are strong and we can endure anything that comes our way.  My daughter is my other Mighty Queen as she makes me enjoy the little things in life that I tend to overlook or forget as I rush through my day between being a wife, a full time employee and a mother.  She can always make me smile, no matter what the situation is.  I would not trade them for the world. 

[Reba76]

The first mightly queen in my life was my mother's mother. Petite in stature, with a soft voice (most of the time), with sparkling blue eyes. She taught me to knit ( even mittens with thumbs), to bake, to enjoy reading and to play cards, the game canasta was our favorite. It would take hours to complete, which was a treat.  Telling stories of her time on the farm, leaving the farm as a young teen to go to school to become a teacher. The stories of her failures and sucesses as a teacher, she taught me at a young age that everyone will have both failures and sucesses in life. Each will teach you something if you take the time to look.

Renee

[MelissaW]

My Mighty Queens are my mom, my sisters and my sorority sisters.

My mom taught me that I could do anything that I wanted.  My sisters have given me strength and support.  My sorority sisters have given me a very strong support network.

Melissa

[cindysloveofbo…]

The mighty Queen in my family for me was my aunt. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind. She didn't care what people thought of her. She spoke what she felt and told it like it was.

[pjpick]

Interesting question. I think the women in my life tend to have Mighty Queen moments that have influenced the way I might change or live my life. One of the one that comes to mind was an incident that occurred with my paternal grandmother (now mind you, this was a woman who had a little bit of a martyr complex). We were visiting my dad's parents in SW Oklahoma. It was the hot, dry part of the summer and I was about 8 years old. The dog began barking uncontrollably and as we ran outside we found my dad and my uncles (who were in their late 30's and early 40's at the time) surrounding a 7ft rattler in the flower bed. They were standing there, holding their hands out saying, "Stay away kids! We need to figure out what to do here." As they stood there my 79 year old grandma walked up with a hoe and whacked it's head off without hesitation. WOW! GRANDMA! I have to say I was pretty impressed that day. My mom was always one that called my father to kill a spider or when a bumble bee flew in our house she took us out for ice cream and a movie until my dad got home. But seeing my granny get that snake, I knew women (girls) could do anything they needed to do.

[lsmith3125]

  I, too, come from strong female stock and am proud that we recognize that strength in ourselves.  My "Mightiest" Queen would be my little sister.  I am the caregiver in the family by temperment and always assumed that I would care for my mother in her later years.  But 15 years ago my youngest son was left a quadriplegic on a ventilator when his bike was hit by a car.  I still assumed that I would care for Mom right along with full-time care for my son.  But my dear little sister stepped right up and without a word began keeping tabs on our mom and, when the time came, moved her into her own home.  Mom is 92 now and doing relatively well (as is my own 25 year old son) and we all have my youngest sister to thank!

[Peppermill]

---

lsmith3125 wrote:
  I, too, come from strong female stock and am proud that we recognize that strength in ourselves.  My "Mightiest" Queen would be my little sister.  I am the caregiver in the family by temperment and always assumed that I would care for my mother in her later years.  But 15 years ago my youngest son was left a quadriplegic on a ventilator when his bike was hit by a car.  I still assumed that I would care for Mom right along with full-time care for my son.  But my dear little sister stepped right up and without a word began keeping tabs on our mom and, when the time came, moved her into her own home.  Mom is 92 now and doing relatively well (as is my own 25 year old son) and we all have my youngest sister to thank!

---

You sound like a "Mighty Queen" yourself.  Blessings on you and to you!