Do you know an inspirational mother?  Perhaps yours or another?  Maybe you are an inspirational mother, a woman who empowers, teaches and supports her children to live their best life.  I love this special day we set aside to recognize the gifts that mothers bring, they are the circle of strength that envelops us in love and protection.

Today I honor the memory of my mother who went to heaven this very month, five years ago.  I think of her often and all I learned from her.

-  She taught me to love books, to embrace learning and that you were never to old to learn.

- She showed me the value in being a good steward and lending a hand up to people who needed our talents.

- Mom steered my ship so I could see possibilities along the horizon of life and encouraged me to stand up for myself as a girl and than a woman.  I am sure this is why I am so passionate about empowering girls and women to find their passion and purpose.

- I learned to love art, music and photography. She nurtured my creativity.

My Mom was a pretty incredible force in my life and I am eternally grateful for that. I miss her everyday and if I could magically be grated one wish it would be to see my mother in perfect health and to spend one more joyful day with her.

Mother
If I could give you diamonds
for each tear you cried for me.
if I could five you sapphires
for each truth you’ve helped me see.
If I could give you rubies
for the heartache that you’ve known
If I could give you pearls
for the wisdom that you’ve shown.
Then you’ll have a treasure, mother,
that would mount up to the skies
That would almost match
the sparkle in your kind and loving eyes.
But I have no pearls, no diamonds,
As I’m sure you’re well aware
So I’ll give you gifts more precious
My devotion, love and care.

~ Author Unknown

This month of March we celebrate National Women’s History Month where we honor ourselves and the history of women who blazed a trail for the women’s movement and recognition for women’s achievements in our countries history.

Before 1970, women’s history was rarely the subject of serious study. As historian Mary Beth Norton recalls, “only one or two scholars would have identified themselves as women’s historians, and no formal doctoral training in the subject was available anywhere in the country.” Since then, however, the field has undergone a metamorphosis.  Today almost every college offers women’s history courses and most major graduate programs offer doctoral degrees in the field. Whoo Hoo, this is something to celebrate!

Ladies, I hope you celebrate your own achievements because we all have a story and we have our own history to share. I hope that you share your life’s history with your daughters, tell them how different life was for girls & women in the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s and so forth.

I share this article by Gail Collins, the first female editorial page editor for the New York Times, as she recounts the amazing women behind the cataclysmic changes in women’s rights over the past 50 years. CLICK HERE to read the amazing story of 5 women who changed history for women.

And think about the amazing women in your life, in your circle – those who inspire, support and push you along to greatness. Be sure to tell those women how much they mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your Circle of Strength.

Since the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, I thought about his life and legacy and regardless of what any of us thought of his politics, I think we all should admire his total dedication to family.  As I talk about so often, we gain strength and courage from the people we keep in our circle.  Ted Kennedy stepped in as a father figure to the children of Robert and John Kennedy, he kept them connected to the entire Kennedy clan teaching them family was everything.  If you watched any of the funeral service on TV, you saw the family gathered in respect and solidarity for the family patriarch they revered so much.

Each of us has a circle of strength which can be our personal family, our work family, our friendships.  Remember to reach out to your family for strength, encouragement and guidance.

This past weekend I attended the National Conference on Widowhood in San Diego, CA.  You may be thinking, why would anyone want to gather with a bunch of people who are probably wearing black, morbid and crying all the time.

Well, as a widow myself,  let me demystify the myth of widows/widowers  -  the attendees were primarily women (there was one brave man) ranged from the ages of 25 to about 75, came from 28 states and 6 countries.  There were no black veils or gloves and yes a few tears were shed but the bond of a group that all experienced the same loss of a spouse was incredibly empowering.

The conference sponsored by The Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation provided educational seminars and social gatherings all with the intent to empower, strengthen and provide hope for the future.

This event truly exemplified the mission of Circle of Strength - to  inspire, empower and have more fun.  The buzz around the conversations were about life… about life cut short and a life well lived and about what is yet to come.

The grieving journey is hard, it is painful and it takes time.  But most people on this journey seem equipped to make their life work in meaningful ways.  I have found more optimism among widowed people than most others, because if they lose their worldly possessions it doesn’t compare to the loss of their spouse.

The lesson learned in general was that a group of like-minded or life-experienced people can be powerful, empowering and provide great strength.  Look for a group of like-minded people in your area, check places like Meet-up.com, or a business associations or a business network group in your area.  Check out community education in your area, they offer short classes in many topics from cooking to learning computer skills.  The point is, there are many ways to connect and be empowered by people, no need to feel alone – so broaden your connections and get out and be inspired!

Today I was honored to receive an award called “Women with Drive“, an award given by WCCO Radio,  Minneapolis, MN.

I was nominated by Linda Kay, a long time friend I’ve known for almost forty years.   Thank you Linda for being my cheerleader, treasured friend and part of my circle of strength.

WCCO WOMEN WITH DRIVE: Everyday we are fortunate to be among amazing women who make our community exceptional! 830 WCCO, Maplewood Toyota and Inver Grove Honda presents Cars for Courage “Women with Drive.” Each month we’ll choose one Courageous woman in our community to be spotlighted

I just love connecting with women of strength who inspire and drive me to be my best.  This week I have been working hard to make new connections from women I want to learn from.   This week I’ve been learning the tricks of “Twitter” from Mari Smith ( http://twitter.com/marismith) and if you’f like to hook up with me on twitter (http://twitter.com/joannefunch).

Through Twitter I’ve met some other awesome women….more to come.

This year for me is about collaboration, and what that means specifically for me is partnering with like-minded people on my business endeavors, working with a trainer and health professional to meet my fitness and health goals, exploring new resources for my continued spiritual growth.  It’s about creating a circle of people who I can count on to assist in meeting my goals. When we realize we can’t do it alone, then we build a “Circle of Strength” around us so as you journey into 2009 creating your best life, remember to create that circle that will bring you strength and support you in reaching your goals.

Happy, Happy New Year!

I celebrated Christmas in many traditional ways with lots of great food, egg nog, spiced wine, home baked cookies and a myriad of other dishes I love. But more importantly I spent time with family and friends that mean the most to me. I believe I got to know my family members more intimately and just had fun with some of my closest friends – nothing could be better. These people are my Circle of Strength, those with whom I share the most.

I wish all a Merry Christmas & very happy new year.

 In my December newsletter I wrote about how in these challenging economic times perhaps we should look closer at the meaning of the holiday season and I suggested that we all make more effort to give back to those in need. The Circle of Strength motto is “Strengthening Women, Strengthening Communities” which is the message I feel most strongly about.

Women by nature are givers  and so when we strengthen women, we give them what they need to take care of their families and thus their communities.

I compiled a list of things we can all do right now this holiday season to make a difference in the lives of others, if you can add to my list please COMMENT BELOW, I’d love to hear more ideas that I can share with others.

10 things you can do NOW to  make a difference

1.  Ask your neighbors if anyone in your neighborhood is out of a job and may need financial assistance, then gather some donations and give it to the family in need as an anonymous gift.

10.  If you like to talk and have a car, you can call on your neighbors for food or clothing donations that you can then deliver to the food bank, church or agency in need of the clothing.  There are clothing agencies in your city that help those needing business appropriate clothing for job interviews,  particularly now with many people being experiencing job loss.  Can’t find one, ask a friend or contact me with the city you are in and I’ll email you a referral.

Here are some volunteer resources;

Tonight I had the pleasure of having dinner with a very dear girlfriend with whom I have this “soul” connection. It’s the kind of friend with whom you connect from the very beginning and even though we haven’t seen each other in well over a year, we talked just like we had seen each other last week. On the drive home I thought about how connecting with friends near and far really nourishes me and reminds me of how deeply friendships have impacted my life.

So, I urge you to take time and celebrate the incredible strength you gain from your girlfriends and embrace their love and support because they will see you through the decades of your life.