10 Women Who Changed My Life

This week’s journal entry:

Write about 10 women who changed your life in some way. Tell why each woman changed your life.

By Laura Black

            I first wrote this journal entry in my art journaling book about two and a half years ago. As the picture will show, I painted across two pages, pasted pictures of the ten women who changed my life, then I wrote near their picture how they changed my life. Art journaling is just another way to go about journaling. These are in no particular order.

1.    My mom – Of course she changed my life; she gave birth to me. She has been an amazing mother. She’s always been there for me, and she supports me in everything I do. More recently, she taught me that you can’t focus on the bad. You have to focus on the good. She had lymphoma, and through it all, she continued to focus on the good. She beat cancer, and she’s cancer free.

2.    My sister, Amy – Ever since we were kids, she just wanted to be a mother. She was always that little mother hen. She’s raised two amazing boys. She’s been lucky enough to stay home and be the wonderful mom she’s always wanted to be, and she’s good at it. She’s always been an amazing sister and best friend, too.

3.    Judy Blume – She was the first author I can remember reading as a teenager. She wrote about real life experiences that teenage girls deal with. Reading her books made me realize that I wasn’t alone. My thoughts and feelings as a teenager were normal.

4.    Carin – She’s my oldest friend, and she has been through everything with me. She’s always been there for me. She is also the one person that understands and knows me more than anyone else I know. She will always be one of my very best friends ever.

5.    Madonna – She was the first female artist I remember idolizing after. I loved her music, and I loved her image. She made me want to explore myself as a future artist. She was bold, sexy, and controversial. I liked that about her. She wasn’t afraid to be herself.

6.    Toni Morrison – She wrote The Bluest Eye. When I read this novel for the first time, I fell in love with it. It’s a dark, twisted story of a black girl that cannot see her own true beauty. This book changed me to realize how important it is to love yourself for what you are and not for what society wants you to be and look like.

7.    Marilyn Monroe – Although Marilyn Monroe was before my time, learning about her and what she stood for as a woman changed the way I viewed myself as a woman. As I got older and gained weight, I had a hard time dealing with my weight and feeling good about myself. Remembering Marilyn Monroe and her size made me realize I should be happy with my size and not ashamed of it.

8.    J. K. Rowling – She changed my life with her amazing creative novels and the story of Harry Potter. She has inspired me to work toward using my creativity through my work. I hope to be as creative as her with my writing, too.

9.    My sister-in-law, Leslie – She changed my life when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She made me realize how precious life really is. She’s one of the strongest women I know. She fought breast cancer, is cancer free, and now has a sweet baby boy I adore.

10. P!nk – She came into my life during my divorce. Her music and lyrics made me feel powerful; they made me feel alive again. They helped me realize I was a strong woman, and they continue to remind me of that every time I listen to her music.

            This list of ten women is by no means all the women that have changed my life, but these are the top ten that came to mind first. There are so many others that have inspired me, been there for me, and continue to keep me moving forward with their support. You know who you are. Thank you to you all. Girl Power!!!

            What about you? What 10 women changed your life?