The stars must have been aligned today when I turned on my car radio. My favorite XM station (Siriusly Sinatra) had a special guest host, Judy Collins, who was playing her favorite Frank tunes for an entire hour.
Collins is more than qualified to talk about Sinatra’s unique phrasing and impeccable timing because, as she explained, she learned a lot from his techniques and applied them to her own singing voice, helping to gain even more popularity in her own long successful music career. She continues to this day to capture the hearts of audiences with her unique brand of music.
I’ve always loved Judy Collins. She and Joni Mitchell captured my heart in the 1960’s with their lyrical voices and dedication to social causes. Both strong women, they influenced me early on to become an involved citizen of the world.
Katharine Hepburn. Golda Meir. Eleanor Roosevelt. Jane Pauley. Gloria Steinem.
They were two of my role models. Two women empowering others through words and music and embodying the very essence of what a woman is capable of doing.
Betty Friedan. Harper Lee. Marlo Thomas. Jane Austen. Mary Tyler Moore. Edith Wharton.
The lists of women I offer in this post illustrate those who were influential during my formative years. They made an impact on me and my view of the possibilities of what women can achieve. Each one is strong, a vibrant force who contributed their talents to enrich our world. They knowingly, or unknowingly, paved the way for future generations of women to do the same.
Bella Abzug. Shirley Chisholm. Helen Keller. Carole King. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Today, I continue to embrace strong and intelligent women who inspire and empower me on my journey for personal growth. Being over fifty doesn’t mean it’s time to close up shop. On the contrary. It’s a time to stretch our minds and follow our passions by using our innate abilities to express what we believe in.
Emily Dickinson. Marie Curie. Ella Fitzgerald. Ingrid Bergman. Julia Child. Indira Gandhi.
Whether it’s a long phone call with a friend, an online conversation with fellow writers, or a conference for women, I feel blessed when I can spend time with women who make a difference in my life.
We have a growing number of opportunities available to us to learn and grow, to be inspired by one another by using our curiosity about the world to learn more about ourselves.
Three of the speakers for the upcoming PA Conference for Women: (L to R) Jane Pauley, Robin Roberts and Diane Keaton
So I was thrilled to learn about an upcoming event, The Pennsylvania Conference for Women, taking place in Philadelphia on October 16. It promises to deliver inspiration and information, offering opportunities for business networking, and a chance to listen to a host of speakers that includes three who are near and dear to my heart - Jane Pauley, Robin Roberts and Diane Keaton.
Women empowering women. Women inspiring women. Women supporting and encouraging women. It doesn’t get much better than that.
NOTE: I loved learning that author Gail Sheehy retweeted this post!
Congratulations @CathyChes on your #pennwomen RT by #author @Gail_Sheehy. Keep changing the world, my friend. pic.twitter.com/dIRfZQc6gj
— Kathy Zucker (@kathyzucker) October 5, 2014
— PA Conf for Women (@PennWomen) October 4, 2014
Oh I am so with you on this Cathy. I can't imagine a life that didn't include the countless women that helped shape me when I was growing up and with whom I have connected with as an adult. The conference sounds amazing, what a wonderful opportunity to connect with others committed to making the so called "back-half" as amazing as it can be. I couldn't agree more with you about being in the 50's, it is nothing short of liberating!
Hope to see you there! I'll be leading one of the Social Media Roundtables - please stop by and say Hi! 🙂
These women were and are legends who changed all of our lives. They let us know that we could be more than a wife, more than a mother. In my opinion your picture should be there because you continue to inspire me every single day. You have shown me that even when you get a devastating illness bit definitely doesn't mean your life is over. To the contrary it may be just about to begin. I thank God that I started reading you when I did. You gave me courage, you gave me strength, inspiration and then you gave me support and friendship! You changed my life and I thank you for it!
This is an amazing list of women who have inspired and changed so many of us. There is nothing more empowering than women supporting and encouraging each other -- which is what you do every day. I can't wait to read your coverage of the event. It sounds like it will be a fantastic conference.
I sat across from Gloria Steinem on the subway.
My entire seat was filled with women and they all looked at me, asked if that was really Gloria Steinem and how did I know her. (She really was looking at me as if we were old friends. It was beyond amazing.)
I can't explain the energy she emitted.
Of course I was stunned into speechlesness and could only smile.
When I got off the subway I ran to the street and did the truly mature thing--thanked whoever for cells and called my mother. My mother, being a truly loyal mother said--"I always told you you look like her much younger sister."
At the time I was working for a First Amendment group where I met celebrities almost everyday. But not meeting Gloria was da bomb. I still wish I had been empowered enough to go up to her and tell her how much she had meant to me since I was 20.
What a great list of some very special women, many of whom also inspired and continue to inspire me. Thanks for the post. I hope you get to the convention, meet more empowering women and get to post about them from there.
So many powerful women who empower our lives, hearts and souls. We just completed The Roosevelts on PBS, so Eleanor Roosevelt has been on my mind of late. But every one of the others you mention move me, make me want to be a better person.
The conference sounds fabulous. I look forward to your recap of it.
Joan Baez, Holly Near, Ronnie Gilbert
Hilary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren
My mother!
Everything in this post gave me, a woman also over 50, the reminder and inspiration to pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back on the road to joining the other great women on this list. Thank you!
Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, Lindy Boggs. Mary Perry (my mother), Eudora Welty, Eleanor of Aquitaine. You.
It is through our support and sharing that we women grow stronger and make our voices heard. All the women you mentioned have inspired me, as you have, my friend.
Judy Collins and Joni MItchell were my idols as a teen, and so many of the women you mention are such role models now. The conference sounds interesting, not sure if I can go because of a previous engagement, but I'll try to remember it for next year. Sounds like a great panel, I love all 3 of the speakers.
This is something I learned relatively late in life, but in a big way, starting with inspiration from other women who survived breast cancer. I'm constantly inspired by women especially those who have faced challenges, like you, Cathy. And by this point in life , who hasn't? Thanks for that and this post. .
The list of successful women is endless, thanks to that endless list of women for the rights and liberties we have today. Thanks for post about the conference, I'm not able to make it, but attending conferences is in my radar now..
Absolutely a great list!
hope you get to go because this conference is always inspiring.
Sadly I cannot attend this year:(
I had to keep reading after seeing that you love Siriusly Sinatra and Judy Collins! Unfortunately, my subscription to Sirius XM just ended and I miss it terribly. It was getting a bit too pricey for us after having it for 2yrs in my car. I loved that station too and adore Judy Collins' voice. Now I'm sad I missed that show. Anyway, you're right that women supporting women is invigorating, just as when I experience or witness women putting other women down or not pulling each other up feels so disappointing. We have a long way to go still, but we've also gotten far with empowering ourselves and getting our voices heard. It's great to see that more of these endeavors are around and that the fire keeps burning. Thanks for sharing this, Cathy!
What a great post, Cathy! Yes, women can be so inspiring...we are quite good at helping one another, holding one another up, encouraging and teaching and learning from one another...did I forget anything??