Well-behaved women rarely make history…..

Oh my GOSH! How I hate that saying! The notion that women can’t make history doing positive things for people is an infuriating concept. Now, I’m no feminist myself, but I take issue with this statement. It has always gotten under my skin. In light of my very strong feelings about this, I’m going to give 7 examples of women who changed the world by being ladies with class. There is a difference between creating change through scandal and bad behavior, as opposed to creating change through doing what is right and being a truly strong woman.

Princess Diana

Now, here is a true example of class and poise. Diana was certainly a force to be reckoned with, but she was more than just a fashion icon. After several awkward years as a kind-of “third wheel” to the royal family, she came into her own and championed causes that were close to her heart. After an unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, who had always pined after Camilla Parker-Bowles, she got a nasty divorce. However, she was a fantastic mother to William and Harry. She showed them how real people lived and taught them to act with kindness. She would not have her boys grow up to be just like the stuffy, elitist big shots that surrounded them. Her genuineness and charisma have transformed the British monarchy into a less stiff institution. She breathed some life into it, which it sorely needed.

In her humanitarian efforts, she was the first royal to hug an AIDS patient, touch the hands and feet of lepers, and walk through an active mine field. She showed the world that kindness takes courage, and that we can’t just sit back and sympathize with suffering people through a television screen. She certainly passed on this message to her boys, and William and Harry have inherited their mother’s caring heart. They too, have been champions for the causes she loved. Now, Diana certainly made mistakes, including a couple of affairs, and later made waves in her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed, which ended when both of them died in the infamous Paris car crash; however, these episodes in her personal life did not detract from the effects of her efforts to make the world a better place. She wanted to be known as a “queen in people’s hearts”, and although she died young, she most definitely succeeded.

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” - Diana, Princess of Wales

Rosa Parks

A powerful example of the change that one person can bring about, Rosa Parks has become an American icon. After a long, hard day at work, she decided that she was not going to move from her seat at the front of the bus just because she was colored. She later revealed that she did this because she was tired of listening to others’ demands, as opposed to being physically exhausted. All it took was one simple word: No. That word brought about a ripple effect that catapulted the Civil Rights movement forward and has changed America forevermore. After having grown up in Alabama, where segregation was especially prevalent, as it was in the rest of the South, she just decided that she wasn’t going to take it anymore. She stood up for her own worth as an individual.

She and her husband both lost their jobs as a result of the backlash from this incident, so they moved. She continued to be an activist for Civil Rights, earned the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997, and went on to publish two books, one of which is entitled Quiet Strength. It was this quiet resolve and determination for what is right that earned Rosa Parks her place in history, and it is a force that has more power than we realize.

“I learned to put my trust in God and to see Him as my strength. Long ago I set my mind to be a free person and not to give in to fear. I always felt that it was my right to defend myself if I could. I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” - Rosa Parks

Jackie Kennedy

Here’s another fashion icon, but this time, she’s American! Plus, Jackie was more than just a pretty face (and pretty clothes). She brought grace and confidence to the role of First Lady. Born to affluent parents, she went to fantastic schools and was educated in a range of subjects from literature to ballet. She was also an accomplished horsewoman. After marrying John F. Kennedy, it was soon revealed that he planned to run for the office of President. Jackie jumped into action and feverishly campaigned for him.

Once she had become First Lady, she made it her mission to restore instead of redecorate the White House. She sought out period pieces of furniture and items belonging to former Presidents in an effort to make the White House a symbol of patriotism that would unite all Americans and make them feel proud. After her “restoration” was completed, she gave a televised tour of the White House, with millions of Americans tuning in to watch. She patronized the arts, giving musicians, writers, and artists long-awaited recognition from the White House. She traveled extensively and was highly cultured, and she aided her husband when they were overseas and foreign support was needed. She maneuvered the assassination of JFK with dignity, later married Aristotle Onassis, and after his death, worked as an editor for two publishing companies. Aside from all this, she believed her most important job was raising her children. She gave her all to being a great mom.

Throughout her married life, she displayed strength and tact as she dealt with the death of two babies, and in addition to her husband’s multiple affairs, one of which included actress Marilyn Monroe. It takes a lot for a person to deal with infidelity and the loss of a child while maintaining an aura of calm for the rest of the country, but she handled these events with composure. After JFK’s death, she used the term Camelot to describe the shining moment that was her husband’s time in office, and she herself was the embodiment of what that represented. She brought refinement and elegance to one of the most challenging female roles in America, and she was an icon that all American women can stand behind and emulate for many generations.

“If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much.”- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan

These two ladies are probably the most famous teacher-student duo ever. They showed America and the rest of the world that nothing can stop you if you are determined to learn and grow.

Annie Sullivan, the daughter of Irish immigrants, had a hard childhood. At age five, she suffered from trachoma, a disease that heavily damaged her eyesight for the rest of her life. Her mother died when she was eight, leaving her with her abusive father and helpless younger siblings. Two of Annie’s siblings had already died young. Her father eventually walked out on her and the rest of the family, and Annie was forced to care for herself and her little brother Jimmie, after her sister was sent to live with relatives. Jimmie later died, and education was Annie’s way out of her troubles. She went to Perkins School for the Blind and strove to learn as much as she could. At 20, she was hired by the Keller family of Alabama, to instruct and teach their then 7-year-old daughter, Helen.

Helen Keller had scarlet fever at a very young age, and this made her both deaf and blind. In frustration at not being able to communicate, she wreaked havoc on the household, and everyone obeyed her every whim in an attempt to pacify her. When she met Annie Sullivan, it was no different. Helen even locked her in a room and hid the key, forcing Mr. Keller to get Annie out through the window! Eventually Annie convinced the Keller family to let her and Helen live in a small outbuilding on their property, that way she could work with her constantly and without outside influences. After months of hard work, tears, and frustration, Helen finally made a breakthrough. Annie taught her the manual alphabet, how to read Braille, and write. Once Helen’s world was opened up, she was always learning, and she and Annie were inseparable. Helen learned arithmetic, geography, multiple languages, and became the first deaf and blind person to graduate college. Helen went on to write her own autobiography and met countless scholars and world dignitaries. Annie Sullivan was the guiding force behind Helen’s achievements, and is the perfect example of a dedicated teacher and mentor. Helen, on the other hand, is a beacon of how education and knowledge can enlighten the most unexpected people.

“People seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is achieved.” - Annie Sullivan

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” - Helen Keller

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was a trailblazer in her own right. She was a native of Macedonia and had very devout Catholic parents. Her father died when she 8, supposedly poisoned by political enemies. Her mother passed on the values of kindness and charity, and after many years of Catholic school, she decided to enter the religious life. She entered the order of the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland. After she made her vows, she was sent on missionary work to Calcutta, teaching children and helping the poor. She later said that Christ spoke to her, and she had a deeper calling to work with the poorest of the poor. She later went on to found a new congregation called the Missionaries of Charity, which has grown to international proportions and helped thousands of people who have no hope. Mother Teresa isn’t known for the awards she has won, or for the famous people she has impressed, but for her generous spirit and her selfless attitude. She has taught the world to see Christ in every person we meet and to be kind to everyone, because hatred takes too much out of a person. This remarkable woman was made a saint on September 4, 2016 by the Catholic Church, an example of goodness and charity for all to emulate. Can you imagine how much better the world would be if each of us tried to reach out a helping hand, as she did? For a 5-foot woman, she had a huge impact.

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.’” - Mother Teresa

Blessed Virgin Mary

This outstanding woman is definitely the most “well-behaved” of the bunch. Her whole life was one in which she was continually asked to say “yes” to God, so much so that she became His mother. She was the parent of the Savior that so many look to in gratitude and in times of suffering. She too, knew what suffering meant. She watched silently as her Son and her God, was mocked and ridiculed, ignored and scoffed at, and finally, watched Him crucified. From the cross, Christ gave her a bigger mission than before. In saying “Behold thy Mother” (John 19: 27), He gave her the responsibility of the human race, to be our mother, watching and guiding us towards true happiness in heaven. By her quiet ways and willingness to follow God to the ends of the earth if necessary, she has become, arguably, one of the most famous women ever. She has certainly made history. I mean, who hasn’t at least seen a painting of her? For a humble Nazarene woman, she definitely had a share in effecting big changes for the world. Centuries later, we remember her still, a simple wife and mother whose Child is the Creator and Savior of the world.

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” - Mary, Mother of God (Luke 1: 38).

“Bad girls” may make the historical headlines, but they will always be defined by their bad decisions. There are a lot of other “well-behaved” women out there who I could have listed. You just have to search for them. Doing good for others is what really makes history. The key for these women? They didn’t expect a reward. They just wanted to make life better for others, and that is worth more than any scandalous gossip.

Well-behaved women rarely make history? I don’t think so…..