Women Who Molded Me

It’s our first blog of the month! For the first blog post, we want to touch on women in honoring the Mothers’ Day holiday. It’s never too late to honor someone who made an impact on your life. Today I will be honoring four women who helped molded me into the woman I am. These names have been changed (except Via’s) to protect their privacy.

1st up….Evie!

Evie was my first manager who was a black woman. We hit it off instantly and became work friends while I worked retail during my twenties in Tulsa, OK. We talked about life, goals, and shared jokes. She was the only manager I would come in on my off day for.

She gave me a ride home on more than one occasion and we would listen to 90s hip-hop while venting about work. She gave me advice and helped me to see that working retail didn’t have to be my life although it felt like that at the time. Through the years we lost touch but I remember fondly how much she supported me through bad days and good and inspired me to shoot for my dreams no matter my age.

Inspiring Woman # 2 Serena

When I moved to Colorado I knew no one. I didn’t have a job lined up (I do not recommend this), and the only people I knew were the people I moved with. Randomly scrolling Craigslist (remember when it wasn’t dangerous), I stumbled upon a post about needing backstage help volunteers for a pageant in Colorado. I had experience and connected with a woman named Chani. I met her family who also was involved in the pageant.

Chani was my first Colorado friend. Her mother, Serena has such a beautiful spirit. She genuinely cares for people. I have a heart for people and seeing that in a woman in her career, making a difference with the youth in the community touched me. She inspired me to want more in my life. The pageant focused on talent and helping teens in the community stay off the streets, away from trouble.

When I first moved to Colorado it wasn’t easy. I was evicted, I got scammed, I lost my wallet. This was all within the first year of living here. Knowing Serena and her family, working on the pageant, and helping young girls discover their passions pulled me out of the darkness. It reinvigorated and inspired me to use my creativity again. Serena showed me my life did not have to be just one thing. She reminded me of Evie but in different ways.

She included me in her family and did not have to, but she welcomed me warmly. Feeling included in my community with a family of strong women when I had no social outlet helped me grow steady on my feet in my passions. She is forever in my heart and I am grateful for the time we spent together. We do not talk much as time has passed, but I still comment on her social media posts and wish her well when I can.

#3 Ambreaa

The first therapist I connected with was Ambrea. It’s a wonderful feeling when you have a therapist who understands you and shows you the steps to healing in a beneficial way. She encouraged my writing, read a few of my blog posts and gave me feedback from a mental health perspective on how my writing can help others. I got the farthest in my trauma timeline with Ambreaa and was able to heal from my ex, guilt from losing my brother and PTSD feelings towards the opposite sex.

If healing is a journey this was the first mile marker in my journey timeline. We check in with each other from time to time and I still recommend People House as a recommendation for mental health services (if you are in Colorado check them out). She helped mold me into the healed woman I am. I did the work but she offered me guidance and I was able to see trauma did not have to hold me back. I could heal and be a better version of myself.  🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

#4 Via

I can’t imagine writing about inspiring women and not mentioning my mother. It just wouldn’t be right! My mom is the most supportive person I can think of. I am grateful that when I was born God chose her to be my mother.

She always has my back, even when I am not making the best decisions, without judgement. She has shown me class, grace, and wisdom in the past forty years. When I told her I was moving to Colorado she was surprised but unlike other people in Oklahoma she supported my decision. She said she would miss me and four months before I left she said she asked to move with me.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Via has given me the room to grow as a woman. She has given me advice on the many facets of my choices showing me I have more than one point of view, and its okay to not jump at an opportunity. She listens and is respectful, traits I hope I exhibit on a daily basis.

Thank you Via for helping mold me into the woman I am.