I was fortunate enough to be raised by an Amazon warrior. You laugh, but I really was! She was born in the Ukraine in the early part of the last century. She was uneducated, simple, frustrating at times, but fierce. What else would you call someone who survived a famine, a world war, and moved with her family to two separate continents without speaking the language of her new country at all? The best part? She didn't just exist... she thrived.
That was my grandmother. One day I was watching a show on PBS titled "Amazon Warrior Women" where Dr. Jeannine Davis-Kimball had discovered evidence of the legendary female warriors in the Russian steppes and found a genetic match to these remains among a tribe in Western Mongolia. I was floored. This blond-haired, blue-eyed Mongolian little girl among a tribe of dark-haired, dark-eyed population, was similar enough in features to be related to my grandmother. That's when everything made sense to me.: my grandmother was an Amazon!
Genetically speaking, I have no idea whether it's true; however, she sure had what you would consider a warrior spirit. I grew up hearing the stories about their flight from the Ukraine during World War II. As my grandfather was from German descent, they had to flee ahead of Stalin's troupes or risk being killed, so they became WWII refugees. Not unlike the current flood of refugees from Syria, my grandparents left the Ukraine with little to no possessions and had two young children under 10 in tow. These tales of war, strife, and unbelievable living conditions, became my compass. If they could survive conditions that would break the average mortal, I certainly could survive x, y or z.
As I grew up and faced my own challenging situations, I often had people ask me "How do you do it?" Or "How is it you can remain so positive?". The answer is easy: I heard first-hand accounts of people who share my DNA surviving and thriving under unbelievable circumstances. Because of their stories, I knew that no matter what, I'd survive my difficulties, too. As I got older I realized how lucky I was, and how I couldn't let their sacrifices and hardships go unrecognized. I had to take their stories and share those life lessons with their progeny, and the world at large. That's what my blog is about: sharing their stories and life lessons so that you, too, can be an Amazon Warrior.
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