Page 200 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

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The Women
Who Lift Us
Honoring the Legacy of Those Who Came Before Honoring the Legacy of Those Who Came Before
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage
No success is ever achieved alone. In No success is ever achieved alone. In
with aplomb and grace. They defined with aplomb and grace. They defined
the shadows of accomplishment are the the shadows of accomplishment are the
determination and perseverance. They determination and perseverance. They
mothers, the mentors, the grandmothers, mothers, the mentors, the grandmothers,
did not share their deepest concerns with did not share their deepest concerns with
and friends that stand in the corner ready and friends that stand in the corner ready
us. They carried on day after day without us. They carried on day after day without
to offer a supportive word, a healing to offer a supportive word, a healing
asking for anyone to solve their problems. asking for anyone to solve their problems.
touch, or a dose of reality when needed. touch, or a dose of reality when needed.
Whether your role models worked Whether your role models worked
They watch our backs and push us They watch our backs and push us
inside the home, outside of inside the home, outside of
forward at the same time. forward at the same time.
the home, or both, it did not the home, or both, it did not
Effective businesswomen who have Effective businesswomen who have
matter, they were available matter, they were available
attained a level of successfulness that attained a level of successfulness that
to us. We may not have to us. We may not have
allows for independence and control allows for independence and control
gotten a lot of time gotten a lot of time
over their own destinies understand and over their own destinies understand and
or the kind of time or the kind of time
acknowledge how they got to where they acknowledge how they got to where they
we appreciated at we appreciated at
are. They know they inherited wisdom are. They know they inherited wisdom
the moment, but the moment, but
from the women who came before them. from the women who came before them.
they let us know we they let us know we
They listened to their stories. They They listened to their stories. They
mattered. When mattered. When
learned from the experiences of the learned from the experiences of the
we look back at our we look back at our
trail blazers, and they followed in those trail blazers, and they followed in those
childhoods, back childhoods, back
footsteps until they discovered new paths footsteps until they discovered new paths
to the time when to the time when
of their own. With the courage that of their own. With the courage that
we were forming our we were forming our
comes from trusting their best instincts comes from trusting their best instincts
first impressions of first impressions of
about themselves, they forged ahead, built about themselves, they forged ahead, built
ourselves, we picture ourselves, we picture
networks for success, got back up after networks for success, got back up after
these women at home. We these women at home. We
failures, and created opportunities for failures, and created opportunities for
can see them in the kitchen can see them in the kitchen
themselves and for others. themselves and for others.
cooking or paying the bills at cooking or paying the bills at
For most women, their first network For most women, their first network
the kitchen table. Or maybe the the kitchen table. Or maybe the
for success were mothers, aunts, for success were mothers, aunts,
memory is of doing housework or driving memory is of doing housework or driving
grandmothers, and teachers. They were grandmothers, and teachers. They were
us from place to place. us from place to place.
women who managed life’s challenges women who managed life’s challenges
Whatever the images are of the women Whatever the images are of the women
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