Classy Broads I Admire

Classy Broads I Admire

Since I chose the moniker Classy Brassy Broad people ask me why I picked it.
I think that in many ways it describes me well. I am well educated and not afraid to speak my mind on most subjects and to most people who want to engage. I am a strong proponent of taking charge of you health and to not fall into the trap of place health care professionals on a pedestal. I don’t automatically believe that our elected officials are the best choice for America and will challenge a decision with which I do not agree.

Sometimes I have to wonder where these ideas and beliefs com from. I only have to look around me to the other Classy Brassy Broads in my world to find the answers.

My daughter, Leolady2 is a classy broad. As a young girl with a visual impairment she refused, with parental support, to accept the school counselors who decided that her future was a daycare provider. While that is a noble profession it was not in her plan for life. She chose to go to college no matter what a tough course that might be and consequently this year she will graduate from the University of (Go Huskies) as well as a minor in Non-Profit Management and a second minor in Education. She comes from a long line of women who are not afraid to speak out even when hers is not the popular opinion.

My cousins Mawtulsa, PJ and EK are classy broads each of these beautiful women lost the love of their lives in the last couple of years to sudden and unexpected deaths. Yet each of them has shown grace in the tragedy of life ad carried on with a bravery only seen in women of substance. Mawtulsa was first to experience loss and held her sisters hand through her grief with humor and love. PJ flew to Jordan to spend her husband’s final days in the land of his birth sharing that time with his brothers and then as a great gift of love buried him next to his family members and returned to the USA alone bravely knowing that her family would be there for her. EK has been the quiet, private one. She was a rock to my twins when my Mom passed away, sharing with them how life renews itself. Her Dad had passed away a few years earlier and she was the one to explain it to her brother who has Autism. EK is a teacher and wonderful with young people. I am not sure if I ever thanked her enough but I do now. EK you have such class.

My sister, Yarntangler has brassy class. She abandoned conventional life to live her dream life travelling the countryside in her rolling mansion. She is like a pioneer braving the weather and bumps in the road like a roof coming off in the wind or even worse a spouse who forgot to lower the TV antenna and wiping it off of the roof. She lost LOST! She speaks eloquently about her new life especially in a most animated discussion with her Classy Brassy Broad of a sister.

My sister-in-law BH is one of my favorite classy broads. She successfully raised two kids as a single mom, working harder than anyone I know, and then took a leap of faith and married and has loved my brother for over twenty years. I believe she saved his life in many ways. She takes no #@#@ from anyone any never feels that the world owes her or that she couldn’t survive anything. She is strong and has a never ending supply of colloquialisms that always hit the mark. She is truly a person that I wish I had found forty years ago to be my friend.

That brings me to my friends. WOW are some of you are classy and some of you are brassy but all of you are my heros.

MJ - you are one of the first women in my life who tell it like it is you always called me on my stuff when I might get full of it and I did the same for you. I remember sharing so much but none more than you leaving Massachusetts to fly to Washington to care for my two little children while I spent weeks in the hospital awaiting the birth of our twin sons. You helped name them and you loved my kids like your own. You protected my daughter when she needed a friend alone on a trip to her Grandmother’s house. It saddens me to think that we have let the busyness of our lives keep us from keeping in touch more.

LN – you believed in my love for Sticks when others did not and you weren’t afraid to tell people to let us be happy. You taught me about Filene's basement. You are so smart and so caring and one of the world’s great Special Ed teachers. You are so much more: you speak out about the injustices in the country and about issues which you feel passionately about. While there are many things we disagree about we still discuss them with gusto never jeopardizing our friendship. You truly live, love and feel as a classy brassy broad.

Joy – no matter how long we are apart when we see each other it is as if time has stopped for months or years and we still live in the same neighborhood even though we have been states or countries apart. As twenty somethings we helped raise one another’s kids. As young Army Wives we saw one another through deployments sitting at our children’s hospital bedsides together or babysitting the night before hubby left or came home again. When you learned that I was starting dialysis you and Em drove up form Oregon surprising the hell out of me and took me to dinner in a great gesture of support. It meant the world to me and my family. You interrupted your life when the boys and I got stuck in Oregon in the great storm of Nov 07. What a blast we had with your Grand daughters. You went back to college following your dreams and did it I am so very proud of you!

NB – you were first my boss and then my very dear friend. The tricks that you taught this broad are for the ages. Most of what I have learned from you definitely fits the brassy category, live life to the fullest, make no apologies for being yourself, love well and laugh well, be confident and exude excellence. Take time to think of yourself as a Classy Broad NB, for truly you are.

All of these women have been influences in my becoming a Classy Brassy Broad but none more than the one original Classy Brassy Broad, LILBIT. My mom instilled in me permission to be who I wanted to be, to know that it is okay to speak up in this world. She knew that women shouldn’t be the little woman without opinions or beliefs but should take time to read and learn and teach. She told me to be strong in adversity and she knew what she meant. She put her children before her grief more than once to be certain that we knew it was okay to feel whatever we needed to feel. She fought for us but kept it real. Once when a teacher I had in high school called to say that I had been disrespectful my mom called her on her dishonesty and yet at the same time let me know that I needed to apologize for hurting my teacher's feelings . She told me something that I have tried to let my own children know: “It is hard enough to apologize when you are wrong but when you know in your heart that you are right it is much harder and yet much more noble”.

Thanks Mom you are my most important Classy Brassy Broad. I only hope that I can do you proud.