“A woman who is convinced that she deserves

to accept only the best,

challenges herself to give the best.

Then she is living phenomenally.”

~Maya Angelou

Tranquility that transcends…

Have you ever had one of those days, when you got home from a hard day at  work, collapsed on the couch and within 10 seconds you’re ambushed by an adoring canine who needs a walk, children who demand to know what’s for dinner, and your spouse hands you a phone message  while asking you  to press his blue pin striped oxford for tomorrow?  You  release a sigh, open the note he handed you and see the message was from  a co worker, wanting you know that next month’s  important board meeting got moved and the 15 pages that were due in two weeks are due by 7 am in the morning….

Women today have a lot on their plate.

Sometimes it’s hard to know where we find our energy to multitask the way we do. But despite the challenges, the gratification we receive from what we are able to  accomplish makes the roller coaster ride well worth the bumps. Today’s women have opportunities available to them that previous generations missed out on. Women also recognize the importance of helping others and understand it is everyone’s responsibility to give back. We work hard to “have it all” and in the process of giving we sometimes forget our own health and well being. Most of us are guilty of putting our name last on our long TO DO list.

For me, after a long day spinning on the hamster wheel called my life, I regain balance and restore my mental energy by turning to a woman I have always loved and admired. Reading the work of Maya Angelou  revives my tired spirit. She is my beloved guru whose powerful words lift me up and make me believe in myself again. She is a creative genius, gifted in story telling, using a melody of verse that can quiet the stormiest of souls.

She enters our sensory world and fills our empty cups with knowledge and meaning. Pouring the sweet juice that  flows from her creative  fountain, we ingest with gratitude, literary metaphors and poetic symbols. Words enter our mind and touch our heart, painting pictures of a new world filled with possibility. She teaches us that we all have an opportunity to contribute and make a difference, if we are willing to give of our time, while wishing on a shooting star that we’ll be able to leave a brighter world to our children.

She is a creative power, the grand giver and if you open your mind,  she will gently explain life’s truths and mysteries. When you close the pages of her words, you will believe that  no mountain is too high to climb; Failure and quitting is never an option;Wishes do come true, even if you’re not Cinderella; Love yourself; Love others;  Rise up every day  and do your best; Magic can be found if you look for it….

I witnessed her magic:

I remember an afternoon teaching 7th grade literature class. It was April, national poetry month, and I was introducing the unit by using a video with Maya Angelou talking about the power of words. After announcing to the class what was on the video, my 13 year old boys let out load chorus of groans. A few of the ” class clowns” tried to bribe me with money, begging me not to make them write a poem after the movie. I answered their wise cracks with a smile and a simple reply; “What you are about to hear will fill your heart pockets, making you richer than any collection of gold jingling coins.”  They looked at me as if I had four heads and then I quickly pushed the remote button to play…

One Fearless Writer…

The groaning boys became still, listened attentively and even  took notes. Their facial expressions changed when Maya shared memories growing up black in the south with hate. One boy, visibly upset, shared later he never thought of our “history” being real and filled with such sadness.

As she hypnotized the group, she was stretching and challenging their minds, to experience a point of view that was foreign. They were engaged and “felt”  the harsh reality of  what was  through her vivid  imagery. She shared a personal literary lens enabling them to see through the eyes of a child growing up black in the south; a time filled with prejudice, injustice and violence.

She spoke about words…the power words have….how they can build you up or slice you in half….the power of words…and our responsibility to recognize their power..to be humble by their power… and show respect by choosing words wisely…to use them with integrity…intelligence…compassion and love….learn that we own our words….writing fearlessly is all good so long as it is woven with truth… let the words roll off your tongue and into the heart of the reader…..so they will never forget…Words…The power of words….

Seeing her cast a spell over a room of tough critics, I believed more than ever that Maya was phenomenal.

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance,

especially if one had no choice.”

- Maya Angelou, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Chapter 31

Fast Tube by Casper

A fearless writer, she has the courage to say what others think but are too afraid to share. Her words have power and her influence is grand.

A Phenomenal Life:

As a child, Maya Angelou suffered in her early years.Growing up, she went back and forth from her mother’s care to her grandmother’s. At age eight, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, who was later killed by her uncles. This trauma caused her to go mute for nearly six years.

Later in her life, she shared her feelings and her experiences by writing poetry and volumes of work. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) began her five-volume autobiography. Memoirs of her life and later books like ,All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), or books of verse, And Still I Rise(1987), were creations from this female talent that understood the unfairness of life and the wounds collected along life’s journey.

Despite hardship, she refused to be broken and always persevered. She channeled her energy into something positive and creative. Her words soothe the despondent soul. Her ideas and outlook motivate the hopeless to rise up and refuse to cower. One of her quotes, specifically targeted for girls, shouts her tenacity:

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”~Maya Angelou

Her gift is timeless:

Only a chosen few have the unique talent like my hero, Maya Angelou, but no matter who you are, we all have the choice to channel creativity that is within us when it strikes.  If the bolt of lightning hits, triggered by a  happy or sad experience, tap on your keyboard and see what “pours out” of your soul. It might surprise you. And like Maya Angelou suggests, we all have a choice to expect the best and be the best we can be. She is a giver and a phenomenal talent. But we all have the ability to give and be phenomenal if we choose. We have the power to decide  how we will live our life, use our words and create a better world for tomorrow’s students.

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