Three Ladies and a Princess: Women of Substance

I read a book several years ago entitled, A Woman of Substance. I fell in love with the main character and longed to visit Leeds because of her. Barbara Taylor Bradford is a remarkable writer of fiction. Emma Harte, the main character, was an independent woman of courage, strength and substance. She controlled some of the largest corporations in the world. A woman from very humble beginnings rose to vast wealth and power.

I can think of many women in the public spotlight who have presented themselves as women of substance. There must be many others who are not so well known by us who would be described by those who know them as women of substance. My Mother for instance, would be one. However, there are four public figures who epitomize examples of A Woman of Substance. They are three ladies and a Princess; the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Coretta Scott King, Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. I only know them based on what the media has reported to us or what their children, spouses and others have said about them. I have an awareness of them based on how they were portrayed publicly but it seems to have been consistent with how they interacted with circumstances surrounding their very public lives. My perception is therefore my reality.

I loved and admired Jackie O, Coretta Scott King, Mother Teresa and Lady Di. I was bereaved over Jackie O, Mrs. King, and Mother Teresa's death and distraught over Lady Di's. I am not one who is enamoured by celebrities or the media frenzy of someone of notoriety. I respect the accomplishments of others, immensely. I know they are human and not immune to human error. They are ordinary people who made extraordinary accomplishments but are merely flesh and bones, like us all.

My admiration, love and respect for Mrs. Kennedy Onassis, Mrs. King, Mother Teresa and Princess Diana is no different but what prompted me to write about them would be the ladies and Princess, themselves. They were women of substance. They maintained dignity and humility even in the roles in which they were thrust and accepted. Their positions were not easy yet they carried themselves with the grace of a woman and not the grief of a child.

What's written below is my heartfelt thoughts on what makes each of these women, A Woman of Substance.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - After her husband's assassination; this mother of two young children did not ask what America could do for her; she did what a loving mother would do to provide for herself and her children. Over the course of raising them, she taught them to be self-sufficient even though they were born into wealth and privilege. She never sought the public spotlight much to the public's dismay. "At her funeral her son described three of her attributes: "love of words, the bonds of home and family, and her spirit of adventure." I respected her and believe the world did, as well.

Coretta Scott King - After losing her husband and being left to raise four young children, she did not abandon the dream of her husband. She shared him with people she did not know while being aware of the risks and dangers involved in his fight. She continued to serve the cause of human rights and justice for more than 35 years after her husband's assassination. I agree with President Bush's comments at her funeral services: "Coretta Scott King not only held up her husband's legacy, she built her own." She was an inspirational figure to men and women around the world.

Mother Teresa - Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Yugoslavia, she took the name "Teresa" after St. Teresa of Lisieux, Patroness of the Missionaries, upon becoming a nun. After leaving her homeland to teach in a high school in Calcutta, this remarkable woman was restless about what she saw beyond the walls of the convent. She was granted permission to start a charity whose mission was to "love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after." She dedicated her life to helping the poorest of the poor. For her missionary work, she gained the title of "Saint of the Gutters" and won a Noble Peace Prize for denying self for the lives of others. Remember what she has said: "When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed."

Lady Diana Frances Spencer - After her marriage to Prince Charles, she became Her Royal Highness Princess of Wales. After her divorce to him, she lost Her Royal Highness title and became Diana, Princess of Wales. Did any of us really care? She never lost anything except perhaps a man who was never deserving of her and her life, prematurely, it would seem. She was simply Mum to her two sons whom she loved deeply and whose love was returned. It was because of her love for her children that she gave no thought to touching children with the HIV virus. She is quoted as having said, "Yes I do touch. I believe that everyone needs that." All around the globe, her death made headlines and was received with immense sorrow and regret.

The book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 and verse 9 asks: "Who can find a virtuous woman? Her price is far above rubies." These four women, in my humble opinion, exemplify virtue. They were not the work of fiction as Emma Harte. They were not conjured in the mind of a literary genius. They were designer originals by the Creator, created for the purposes their lives fulfilled. The world is a better place because they have lived. Their contribution is far above rubies. It is priceless.