Mary Sue Englund - I am a Woman

I AM A A Celebration in More Than Fifty Photographs MARY SUE ENGLUND

Dexterity, LLC 604 Magnolia Lane Nashville, TN 37211 Copyright 2013, 2016, 2021 Mary Sue Englund All rights reserved. Except as permitted by the US Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without prior written permission from the publisher. For information, please contact info@dexteritycollective.co.Music and lyrics to the song I Am a Woman by Thom Shepherd and Mary Sue Englund Printed in the United States of America.First edition 2013. Second edition 2016. Third edition 2021.10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication data

For my sister Patty, my junior birdman superhero, who is a yellow balloon for my heart and For my aunt OAnn, who held my hand, and gave me sunshine in the dark

II am aam a W Womanoman I am Beauty, I am Grace I am not just another Pretty Face I am an Actress, I am Real Sheer Perfection, teetering on Stiletto Heels I am Bold, I am Shy I am Truth, Im a Little White Lie Intuition, a Contradiction I am a Woman I am a Diamond, and I am Love I am a well-worn pair of light blue Garden Gloves I am Passion, and I am Desire Anticipation, and a Whisper by the Fire a Negligee, a Long White Train Somebodys Everything, and the One that Got Away that Little Black Dress, and the Song you cant forget I am a Woman Im a Coffee in the Morning, a Breakdown without Warning I am a Best Friend, and a Mother to the World I am Strong, I am a Fighter a Sister, a Survivor but most times I am still that Little Girl Im a Princess, a Drama Queen I am a Romance Paperback and a Diary full of Dreams I am a Warm Heart with Cold Feet I am a Mona Lisa Smile and the Tears you will Never See I am a Promise, and I am a Prayer I am Faith, I am Hope, I am this Pink Ribbon that I Wear and I am Brave, no matter what you take away I am a Woman Music and lyrics by Thom Shepherd and Mary Sue Englund

Foreword Sometimes you need an entire compendium of womens histories to get your point across. Impressing on young mindsheck, even aging minds for that matterthe value of a womans soul, her work, her art, her nurturing, is no small task. And sometimes it might take years to wrap your mind around what women bring into the world, other than the obvious, literally you and me. But sometimes all it takes is the power of poetry; the sheer economical genius of carefully chosen words, steeped in emotion.Together with timeless images that in and of themselves speak thousands of words, the impact is un deniable. I fell in love from the start with the song I Am a Woman written by my dear friend, band mate, and collaborator, Mary Sue Englund, and songwriter Thom Shepherd. I have had the pleasure of seeing audiences respond to it with a jolt of recognition, often followed by tears. I knew the song In todays world, you might be tempted to think your daughter, your niece, aunt, mother, friend or any of the women you knoware free from the worries of sexism or ageism. You might think they wouldnt give the idea of crashing through any glass ceiling a second thought. Maybe you think that as a culture, we should be past all of that. But I believe in my heart that the need for a positive message for women of all ages has never been greater. Tomorrows challenges will require women This book celebrates the inherent greatness in the heart of every woman. I am humbled to be included in its pages.PAM TILLIS Grammy Award Winner Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Member of the Grand Ole Opry

IIn troduction Being a woman can be staggeringly beautiful, yet overwhelmingly complex. However, we know each facet of womanhood is to be admired and treasured. The women in these pages represent those facets. Whether starting a new chapter, fighting an illness, struggling through loss, watching children grow, or wondering where life is leading you, may I Am a Woman remind you of your own grace and courage.When I first published I Am a Woman, I was on tour with Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan. During that time, my friend, Thom Shepherd, asked me to co-write a song to empower women. Drawing on traits from key women such as our moms, sisters, mentors, and friends, the song I Am a Woman was born. Since then, the song has been played around the world thousands of times, often receiving standing ovations. I saw how the song resonated with audiences and wanted women to have something tangiblea song to hold in their hands. With two editions in print and seven thousand copies sold, the book has mirrored the songs impact, and together, they have taken on a life of their own.In this third edition, Ive added an even more diverse mix of heroines, including some for a younger generation of women. As with the other editions, though, I want the focus to be on you, the reader. If youre a woman READ the stories of amazing womensome famous, some who quietly changed lives behind the scenes who climbed their own mountains, faced their fears, and chased their dreams.LISTEN to the song upon which we based this book. Download your favorite version of I Am a Woman, available on iTunes and www.marysueenglund.com. The pages of this book are filled with the lyrics, each carefully paired with a photograph. The last page is reserved for your photograph or one of a woman you love to be honored in this amazing sisterhood.CELEBRATE your own unique gifts. I Am a Woman calls us to honor the women we love and the women we aspire to be. May it remind you to treasure yourself and the women in your life. MARY SUE ENGLUND

I I am Beauty God forbid you do anything individual or go against the had some reason for giving me bushy eyebrows and black hair.... Ive always been very aware of the inner me that has nothing to do with the physical me.... Around [the age of] forty, the inner you actually chisels your features.... Surgeons and knives have nothing to do with it. It has to do with a connection with nature, God, your inner beingits being in contact with yourself and allowing yourself, allowinggod, to mold you. ELIZABETH ROSEMOND TAYLOR A child actress, Elizabeth Taylors first contract with Universal was quickly terminated in 1941 when a casting director rejected her appearance. She later signed a contract with MGM, but they asked her to pluck her eyebrows and change the color of her hair. Taylor refused, embracing her God-given look that became iconic. She enjoyed an acting career that spanned sixty-six years. The American Film Institute named her the seventh-greatest female screen legend of all time.

I I am Grace Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. OPRAH WINFREY Born to an unwed teenage housemaid in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey lived in poverty for the first decade-plus of her life. As a child, she was ridiculed for the potato sacks her grandmother fashioned for her to wear. She was reading by the age of three, and two days into I dont think I belong here cause I know a lot of big words. She also skipped the first grade. Winfrey studied communications at Tennessee State University. Her brilliance and tenacity led her to create The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, and it became the highest-rated talk show in TV history. She became North Americas first black multi-billionaire and is considered the greatest black philanthropist in American history.

II am not just another Pretty Face I plan on being an engineer at NASA, but I cant do that without taking them classes at that all-white high school, and I cant change the color of my skin. So I have no choice, but to be the first.... MARY JACKSON In 1958, NASAs first black female engineer, Mary Jackson, was chosen, along with Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, as computers to help with Project Mercury, the first spaceflight program to put a human into Earths orbit and return safely. Jackson received many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2016. In June 2020, NASA renamed its DC headquarters to The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters.