Ode to Grandmothers

My dearest readers,

As a blog dedicated to young female professionals, I feel that it is important to dedicate today’s post to the act of remembering, honoring and paying tribute to the remarkable women that made a difference throughout history.  In light of this, I wanted to pay tribute to a group of very special people in our lives; our grandmothers.

Many grandmothers, like my own grandmothers, may not be mentioned in textbooks…their names may not be articulated in lecture halls or referred to in academic papers…yet each and every one of them has shaped the world we call “present” and the history that has led us to where we are now.

Along this train of thought, I wanted to dedicate this piece to those women, to all grandmothers, who may not have led lives of fame but whose stories nevertheless resonate all around us; their stories share whispers of surmounted challenges, personal triumphs and life experience with each and every one of us.

Grandmothers connect the past with the future as they inspire us, their granddaughters, through love and wisdom, to become the best we can be. Their own lives inspire us to work towards leaving a legacy of our own on this planet.

I grew up very close to my maternal grandmother and sadly never had the honor of meeting my paternal grandmother in person as she passed away from cancer much before I was born. And yet, both these remarkable women have had profound impacts on my life and shaped me into the woman I have become. My maternal grandmother immigrated to Canada in the 50s as a domestic, in search of a better life. She accomplished great success through hard work, tenacity, and hope and faith far too strong to be described by words. She has and always will have a special place in my heart; countless hours spent together in her warm, sunshine-filled kitchen, chatting about life. Her joie-de-vivre and innocence, despite a life of hardship, war and challenges, inspire me every day. Despite never having met my paternal grandmother, by the way people’s faces light up when they speak about her, I feel a special connection to the way I imagine she was and lived her life. Throughout my life, the best compliments have always been those alluding to the realization that I am “just like my grandmother.” I am brought to tears by this notion because, by being “just like her”, I feel as though I am an extension of her, of her life. It is an honor to be part of her legacy. The memory of her is enough to make people smile, to laugh, to cry…that is legacy.

My dearest readers, I feel grateful to have been able to share this piece with you; this ode to Grandmothers. May their stories serve as reminders of their triumphs and inspire us, the women of tomorrow. Through us, their legacies live on. 

I originally wrote this post for Stilettos on the Glass Ceiling – You can find the original article at http://stilettosontheglassceiling.com/2014/03/an-ode-to-grandmothers-by-maria-psihogios.html

Quotable Java…

My dearest readers,

Happy Saturday morning!

Whether it be a refreshing frappuccino on a cold summer day, a warm café mocha in a cozy coffee shop during a winter storm, or an infamous Greek frappé on a patio by the Mediterranean sea…sometimes all one needs is a good coffee. As a self-proclaimed coffee aficionada, I felt it only fitting to dedicate a section of positively profession-elle to a love for coffee…In light of this, here are some rather interesting quotes I have uncovered about coffee…highlighting its historical prominence and its anecdotal ability to spark creativity!

“Just the other day, I was in my neighborhood Starbucks, waiting for the post office to open. I was enjoying a chocolatey cafe mocha when it occurred to me that to drink a mocha is to gulp down the entire history of the New World. From the Spanish exportation of Aztec cacao, and the Dutch invention of the chemical process for making cocoa, on down to the capitalist empire of Hershey, PA, and the lifestyle marketing of Seattle’s Starbucks, the modern mocha is a bittersweet concoction of imperialism, genocide, invention, and consumerism served with whipped cream on top.”
― Sarah Vowell

“Fueled by my inspiration, I ran across the room to steal the cup of coffee the bookshelf had taken prisoner. Lapping the black watery brew like a hyena, I tossed the empty cup aside. I then returned to the chair to continue my divine act of creation. Hot blood swished in my head as my mighty pen stole across the page.”
― Roman Payne

“It’s just like when you’ve got some coffee that’s too black, which means it’s too strong. What do you do? You integrate it with cream, you make it weak. But if you pour too much cream in it, you won’t even know you ever had coffee. It used to be hot, it becomes cool. It used to be strong, it becomes weak. It used to wake you up, now it puts you to sleep.”
― Malcolm X

“This coffee falls into your stomach, and straightway there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand Army of the battlefield, and the battle takes place. Things remembered arrive at full gallop, ensuing to the wind. The light cavalry of comparisons deliver a magnificent deploying charge, the artillery of logic hurry up with their train and ammunition, the shafts of with start up like sharpshooters. Similes arise, the paper is covered with ink; for the struggle commences and is concluded with torrents of black water, just as a battle with powder.”
― Honoré de Balzac

“Suave molecules of Mocha stir up your blood, without causing excess heat; the organ of thought receives from it a feeling of sympathy; work becomes easier and you will sit down without distress to your principal repast which will restore your body and afford you a calm, delicious night.”
― Tallyrand (1754-1839)

Have a great day and always remember to enjoy life sip by sip!