I Believe in a Strong Female Heritage

Posted in WPSU’s This I Believe, 2011-07-21

On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I went to the Library of Congress. Modestly displayed next to Thomas Payne’s Common Sense was a single piece of parchment written by “An American Lady.” As a woman and a writer, I was intrigued. Crowds of people moved past me to more well-known documents, but I was hooked.

According to a placard, the author’s name was Esther Reed. The document was a rousing call for fellow women of the colonies to help gather funds and supplies for the troops of the Revolutionary War. In her writing, Reed had the most sure of herself tone I’d ever read. And she was smart and witty. While I was busily scribbling about her on a little notebook in my lap, I thought, “This Is It!” I’d been thinking about contributing to WPSU’s This I Believe since I became an intern for the program in May. But I could never nail down exactly what I believed in. Finally! I thought. I believe in Women Writers.

Then a glossy yellow notebook came to mind. It was my mom’s from the seventies. I’d found it in my basement about 6 years ago. I was looking for fresh notebooks for my first year of high school. My mom had filled her notebook with poetry when she was in high school. I was surprised. I had no idea my mom ever had an interest in writing. How could we have this huge thing in common and I never knew about it? When I read things I wrote to my mom, why didn’t she ever say, “I used to do this, too”?

My mom is somewhat private. When I asked her about the poetry, she said writing was a good way to get her feelings out. But she hadn’t written since she was in school. My mom’s the kind of woman who always wanted to be a mother. Once she had my sister and me, she felt content with what she had accomplished. But I think my mom still has a lot to say. I want to be a female writer with a strong voice to say all the things my mom decided to stop writing down.

When I think about writing, I think of the many women who have influenced me: my mom, my sassy Nana Viv, my pragmatic Nana Pat, my sister, Sara, who is my right arm. These women weave together my support system. They inspire me to be a strong woman who expresses herself. My voice does not exist without their voices. And when it’s time for me to be a mother, an aunt or a grandmother, I want to be part of the web that holds other women up. Like Esther Reed went from being “An American Lady” to a woman with a name, I want to ensure future generations of women know that who they are and what they have to say are important. Seeing Reed’s writing made me realize I believe in a strong female heritage.

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