At some point in your life, have you ever felt that you are less important than others? Have you been longing for inspiration to keep you motivated amidst all the challenges that life brings as a mother, wife, sister, or daughter? Often, women come down too hard on ourselves as society has ingrained unrealistic expectations and standards. We aspire to be everything to everyone, often to our own detriment. And then, there was Maya Angelou, who reminded women everywhere of how phenomenal they are. Her words restored the female spirit and pushed them to live better.
Dr. Maya Angelou is an icon and a hero to many. She was more than just a public figure who created a life-changing impact on people through her poems, stories, and her life. Adored by many, this amazing woman passed away in May 2014 and left the whole world shocked. Even the President of the United States of America commemorated her life, saying that she is the woman who had reminded people of each and everyone’s purpose and how each has something to offer and is beautiful. Her wisdom speaks through her words in her famous poem, “Phenomenal Woman”:
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Are you now wondering what good she has done that made her exceed her being a mere icon? Tracing back through her great life, Dr. Maya Angelou is more than just a single person. She is a multi-talented woman who was creative, versatile, and sassy. She was a poet, an award-winning author who opened the eyes of the people with her 1969 memoir, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” that marked a milestone in literary history as the first-ever nonfiction bestseller by an African-American woman. Following this remarkable set of words is her prize-nominated poetry collection, “Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water ‘Fore I Die,” and her literary, “On The Pulse of Morning,” which she even recited at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
This inspirational woman did not stop there considering the wide array of awards she received for her notable talent and contribution in the country, and to all the other people whose lives she had helped change. Dr. Angelou also wrote several autobiographies in the span of her career, some of which are “All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes” (1986) and “A Song Flung Up To Heaven” (2002). These installments and additions to her phenomenal world-class record did not only impress both regular people and distinguished luminaries but also helped people live better. If you are not really familiar with this renowned inspiration to many, skip all other remarkable write-ups of hers and lose yourself in her first-ever masterpiece, the epitome of her being the phenomenal woman, the all-time favorite and historical “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.”
When Dr. Maya Angelou was still alive, she never failed to remind people that they are all worthy and that each one, man or woman, is important in society. She also stressed that it is never too late to live better. She was a public figure who is sorely missed by many, but her wisdom and her words are her legacy, giving women a chance to be all they can be – phenomenally.
*Originally published on The Femme Code January 05, 2015
