I was very blessed to grow up in a home where strong, resilient, brilliant ladies were all around me, loving and encouraging me. My mother Elva Hasty Thompson was the chief influence of course, but also her mother, my memaw, Wilma Butler Hasty. Both ladies were smart, quick-witted, strong ladies who worked hard and had an unshakeable faith in God.
I was also blessed to have 4 very strong, smart ladies as aunts, all of whom I loved dearly. Two of those ladies are still alive, at 90 and 94!
I love the goals of International Women's Day, particularly the aim of empowering women. My mother and grandmother both faced gender bias in the workplace, and unfortunately there are still countries where women are treated very unfairly.
Below, some inspiring quotes and some images of women who are/were really important in my life.
Nora Ephron, journalist
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady
“Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.”
Julie Andrews, Actress, Singer and Author
