Who are your heroes? I was asked this a couple of weeks ago at a workshop I attended. Initially, I thought about high profile people who’ve influenced me like Deepak Chopra and Christiane Northrup. Role models and mentors of combining deep felt passions with professional goals. A must in my life.
But since then, I’ve been reflecting on the lesser known heroes. Women I’ve counseled, moms I’ve known, friends and family members who’ve not only overcome adversity but been transformed by it. Like a young mom I know who delivered a stillborn baby at 36 weeks and now hosts a blog for grieving moms. Or a woman who at 71 after a life of co-dependent relationships is finding her voice. Or Lauren Hale of My Postpartum Voice, Katherine Stone of Postpartum Progress, Linda Meyer of Mother to Mother in STL, all PPD survivors who’ve turned tragedy into triumph through their advocacy work. And the list goes on.
I’m certain you know these women too. In fact, you may be one yourself. Heroes are heroic not because of how well-recognized they are but because of what they do, transcending life’s challenges and emerging stronger and wiser. Embodying their soul’s potential for ever expanding awareness and growth.
So, who are your heroes? What qualities do they possess? How do these relate to what you admire about yourself and/or would like to change? Let us know. Send us your stories of trial and survival. Let’s inspire each other with courage and hope, strengthening ourselves and our world.
Living Self-Care 
I’ve always felt that going through PPD and PPA was the worst AND best thing that could have happened. In the middle of it all, it was awful, but if I hadn’t experienced it, I would have never gone back to grad school to become a counselor. I was unhappily working in computer science at the time. The planets aligned and I got accepted as one of just 20 applicants for the Clinical Psych program at my grad school. It was definitely meant to be!
These days, I think I am my own hero. I left an abusive spouse, but that’s not the heroic thing. The fact that I’ve done so much healing and finally gotten back to the person I was before he did his damage, and then some, to me, is heroic. It’s Me 2.0, the new and improved version! And I like Me 2.0 an awful lot. She’s rocking the healing and personal growth arena like nobody’s business, and figuring out how to be happy in spite of all of the current obstacles in her way. So yeah, just me for now. 🙂
You go, Angela!!! You’re a great example for many women!!!
Aww, shucks! Thanks, Stacey, and huge congrats on your acceptance into grad school! I don’t know how moms manage to get through college and grad school…it was difficult enough for me doing my undergrad stuff without kids. The logistics of doing it while parenting blows my mind! Hats off to you! 🙂
You both rock. You are certainly heroes and wonderful members of this community. Warmly, Diane
I have a lot of heroes, all of whom I can’t list here, but they include Carol Blocker, Susan Stone, Sonia Murdock, Marlene Freeman, Karen Kleiman and ALL of the women who blog regularly and openly about postpartum depression (Lauren, Amber, Suzanne, Beth Anne, Grace, Katie, Miranda, Ivy, Emily, Casey, Alexis, Kimberly and so many others), start support groups, volunteer for PSI, and/or do whatever they can to help other mothers.
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