The Wisdom Keeper

There is a woman who inspires me on International Women’s Day.

While I did not know her for most of my life, she amplifies many women who have crossed my career and personal path.

To protect her privacy, I will call her Sophia.

Having only a massive amount of determination infused with the hope of all that God had deemed her worthy of, Sophia journeyed with her siblings by boat, mind you, to the shores of America as a bright and brave young woman.

Her story is extraordinary in its own right, as were so many women who once were in my adopted family, as the majority came from families of distant lands.

Often called the “Old Country”

However, what inspires me the most about Sophia isn’t her personal story exactly.

Still, it is how she is a near centenarian who has successfully forged her life in this strange and distant land, which she made her home.

It is how she embodies the collective strength of the generations of women before her.

It is how I see in her eyes the reflection of those women who carved their paths where none existed before.

I see in her hands the labor of women who built communities while recognition was denied.

She speaks and leaves echoes of those who spoke truth yet their silence was all that was expected.

She is not one to be silenced even today.

Sophia has captured my attention in this time of my life as I have lost in this world almost all of the women of my immediate family.

Sophia, unbeknownst, reminds me that female wisdom and strength transcend biological relationships.

Her journey of leaving her homeland resonates with my experience of finding connection beyond bloodlines.

When she speaks of building a new life from scratch, I connect and resonate with the courage that is required in a uniquely personal way.

Sophia represents the invisible thread connecting women across all time and circumstances—those who came before us, those who walk alongside us, and those who will continue after us.

As I spend time with Sophia, I am reminded that courage isn’t inherited only through bloodlines, but can be honored across all human relationships.

Although she is years older than me, we share a mutual understanding of what it means to forge belonging and achieve personal success in unexpected places.

In her unique way, she has shown me that no woman truly walks alone, especially when we understand that family can be found in the most meaningful connections we create.

This International Women’s Day, I celebrate Sophia and the tapestry of other female influencers she represents. She is proof that inspiration often comes not from a single source but from the beautiful threads of the women who make up our lives.

I am confident that there are many Sophias out there, share your experience.

Let's keep this thread going,