🔒‘Make an impact’ and other pearls of wisdom for Women’s History Month

“Always have your own money — do not rely on a partner to take care of you,” is a life lesson Katie Shorey treasures from Margrit Newman, a 96-year-old family friend. To mark Women’s History Month this March as well as International Women’s Day this Sunday, Mainebiz asked a handful of leaders to share learnings from mothers, grandmothers and other influential women in their lives.

Other pearls of practical wisdom that have stayed with Shorey, director of engagement at Live + Work in Maine: “Do your best work, make an impact and become hard to replace,” from her mother, Kathi Shorey. “Learn to play golf — it helps in business and later in life,” from her 93-year-old maternal grandmother, Gloria Babineau. And three pieces of advice from her late paternal grandmother, Dottie Shorey: “Always write the handwritten note. Remember people's birthdays. Family comes first." Here’s a compilation of reflections from others. Kaveri Subbarao Nauhaus, Bernstein Shur: “My mother grew up in India and was one of the top students in her class, but she wasn’t allowed to continue past elementary school. That was simply the reality for many girls in her time and place. She wanted better for me. I recall very fondly the times my mother and I tended to our garden — a simple plot behind where my father worked — where we traded stories and she would often tell me that my mind is like a garden and that I’d have to nurture it with conviction and focus so that I could achieve everything I wanted.”

Grace Mo-Phillips, CEI Women’s Business Center: "If someone treats you well, repay it — or pay it forward, tenfold. This was my mother’s motto. Spending her formative years in China during World War II, a time of great scarcity, my mom learned to cherish even the smallest acts of kindness and didn’t take anything for granted. She often recalled how grateful she was to receive a sweet potato from a neighbor. That deep sense of gratitude fueled her desire to give back, even when she had very little. To her, giving not is an obligation, but a blessing. She is generous with what she had, always ready to help others and support those in need. Watching her live out these values shaped me deeply. She taught me that the true measure of blessing is not in what we receive, but in how much we are willing to give.”

Lisa Whited, author and speaker: “Ever since I was a young girl I recognized the importance of having strong women around me because of what my mother demonstrated: she honored, recognized, spent time with and cherished the females around her — whether neighbors, relatives or friends. I think that in itself was a life lesson I'll take to my grave.” Meredith Strang Burgess, Burgess Advertising & Marketing: "My grandmother was born in 1894 and died in 1988. She saw a huge change from horse and buggy to the first man on the moon … and she was a bank teller and then in later years was a local reporter in Madison, Maine, for the Morning Sentinel in Waterville. My mom, born in 1920, was raised to be a strong, independent woman. She worked her whole life and was very prescriptive to me and my gal pals growing up.”

Along with a photo of the late Charlene Perkins Strang garbed in festive attire on her 95th birthday, Burgess shared some of her mom's wisdom: “A woman should always always have her own bank account and credit. Plus, you should always have an up-to-date passport because you never know when you might be invited to Paris for lunch.” Mufalo Chitam, Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition: “Growing up in my native country, Zambia, Auntie Beatrice Mwiya Grillo has been a profoundly influential mother figure whose life lessons imparted invaluable wisdom. “She taught me the crucial importance of respecting the experience and wisdom of elders. Her counsel highlighted that with time, their guidance often proves more reliable. As she often said, ‘An elder may miss his target when throwing a stone but he does not miss when it comes to wisdom.' This proverb’s lesson is clear: while a young person may surpass an elder in physical ability, an elder's wisdom remains unsurpassed. This fundamental lesson has continued to reverberate with me since my teenage years.” Another timeless truth from Mufalo's Auntie Beatrice: ”My family is not perfect, but it is the best I have."