(The image above is not of me.)
There are lives that shine not from spotlight but from substance. Women who didn’t ask to be admired—but whose actions demanded it. I’ve known such women, and their influence didn’t arrive as lectures or grand gestures. It came quietly, consistently, and without apology.
They met hardship with conviction, not drama. They gave when there was little left to offer. They rebuilt futures from rubble, all while holding the hands of those around them. These weren’t just survivors of life's trials—they were architects of resilience.
Some stepped into roles they never planned for, guided only by necessity and love. Some created space for others, even while grieving their own profound losses. They faced diagnoses, disappointments, and detours—and chose integrity every time.
What makes them unforgettable isn’t what they endured. It’s how they did it. With grace that didn’t waver. With strength that didn’t need to announce itself. With a quiet, commanding presence that shifted the air in a room.
I realize now that inspiration rarely wears a crown. It’s more often found in calloused hands, in tired feet that kept walking, in voices that remained steady when they had every right to falter.
Their choices are stitched into my own. The values I hold, the ways I respond to crisis, even the moments I stumble and find my footing again—they all bear the imprint of lives well and truly lived.
This is what happens when inspiration leads the way. It doesn’t tell you what to do. It shows you how to be.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.†Maya Angelou
This is my contribution to this month's new virtual symposium on 'Inspiration' - see NVS7 August 2025
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14 comments
You have identified the sort of people that provide the inspiration that truly sticks with a person. They do not preach, put on a performance or bluster, they just quietly continue on with grace and dignity.
@justskin1 Thank you. I feel fortunate to have had some amazing women in my life.
I love how you are able to talk about something that is important to you. You do it so very beautifully. I know of a woman that you were talking about. She was one of the most beautiful women I've ever known. She cared about people and would do anything to help them, and she did. She never asked anything for it and if she was recognized for the things she did she was surprised. She was a very religious woman who had a lot of faith and she practiced it. She would feel bad if she negative thoughts about her husband having emphysema who wasn't always truthful to her about smoking. That's when our priest would tell her that she had every right to feel that way.
She was the glue that held the family together. She died peacefully in 2009 at home. It was the right place for her because her eyes would sparkle when she talked about it. I was fortunate enough to be with her during her battle with AML. How ironic because she worked for the American Cancer Society for 40 years half of her life. I was with her when the priest who she loved, and he loved her too came and for her daily prayers and shortly after she passed away.
When she did pass I had one of my hands on her arm. We were alone and I told her that I loved her and will miss her, and that everything will be okay with my brother and I. I then gave her a kiss on her forehead. My hand still on her arm. When I stood up the room was bright but the brightness changed to a different brightness. I felt something going through her body from her head to her feet back up and though my abdomen and out my other arm and through the door. I felt it was her soul leaving her body because she knew everything was going to be okay.
I now live in that house which is the house I grew up in. I call it my happy place. It's nothing fancy but I'm very happy here. As you have probably have guessed by now it was my mother who I was talking about.
Thank you for sharing this insightful post with us.
@MrRareity Thank you for sharing such a deeply personal and beautiful memory. Your mother sounds extraordinary—full of compassion, faith, and quiet strength. The way you describe her, especially in those final moments, is both heartbreaking and luminous.
It’s clear she left a legacy not just in what she did, but in how she made people feel. And now, you carry that forward—in the house she loved, in the memories you hold, and in the way you speak of her.
I’m honoured that my post could be a space for her story to be remembered and celebrated.
@sexyldy1000 No thank you I loved my mother as you can tell. Everything you said about her was like you knew her. I love telling others just how much she meant to me. Your post allowed me to do that. It was my privilege to share my thoughts with you.
A very insightful post.
@spunkycumfun Thank you. Is there something in particular that resonated with you?
@sexyldy1000 I liked how you rooted inspiration in everyday actions rather than grand gestures.
@spunkycumfun Thank you. To me those are more impactful for their ongoing legacy than one-time grandiose actions 😊. As you know, I have written previous tributes on International Women’s Day about the amazing women in my life.
Yes! I find that now-a-days, I talk highly of my mom because of everything that was thrown at her and how handled it with dignity. Now that I am older I can appreciate what she has done.
@resant78 It’s amazing how time gives us new eyes to see the quiet strength our mothers carried. Dignity in the face of hardship is something that leaves a lasting imprint.
Thank you for sharing that—your mom sounds like one of those unforgettable women who led by example.
I think we all know someone who is quietly inspirational. Wonderfully expressed contribution. Thank you.
@superbjversion2 Thank you. That’s so true—quiet inspiration often goes unnoticed, yet it shapes us profoundly. This challenge offered a meaningful space to honour that kind of influence.
Great contribution to the symposium. And your blog here makes me once again remember this long time statement I heard growing up. " What Doesn't Kill Us Only Makes Us Stronger" and it's funny how a lot of women are so relatable to that statement.
I hope your enjoy a thrilling Thursday..
@Tmptrzz Thank you for your kind words. That statement—“What doesn’t kill us makes us strongerâ€â€”really does echo through so many women’s lives, doesn’t it? Not just in the battles they’ve faced, but in the quiet strength they carry forward. I think of it often, especially when I see how resilience can be both fierce and tender.
Wishing you a Thursday filled with happiness and quiet victories.