Difference Maker!
This week’s difference maker is all about Audrey Hepburn. My love and admiration of her is excessive. I know I say I love people and things a lot, and simply put, I do. She is a huge influencer in my life, even after her death.
When I was a little girl, my grandmother watched my brother and I while my mom was at work. I love my grandmother very much. Her and I had an amazing bond that will never be replicated. She passed away while I was in high school. It hit me hard not seeing her, but I have never felt like she left me.
Please note, I said love her not loved. I don’t know why we say love in the past tense when talking about those who have died. That love never goes away.
Anyway, my grandmother was the one who introduced me to Audrey Hepburn via the movie Funny Face. I was hooked. I then watched all Audrey’s movies and followed her life beyond the theater.
Audrey was so much more than a Hollywood fashion icon and celebrity. She broke down barriers in the film industry, changing what beauty was expected to be. Most importantly, she took her experiences of her youth and the ugliness she saw to do something good. She was a humanitarian and a huge advocate for children, becoming a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She is famously known for both her career and her passion.
She taught me, you cannot fit in a pretty box and still be beautiful. She taught me that you can take something bad and work to make it better. While Audrey is not the only influencer in my life, she was the first to show me how one person can make a big impact on a grand scale.
My goals are to live as she lived. I want to break down barriers for women within ourselves, professionally and personally. I want to help other women have better opportunities or an easier time. I want to see the ugliness and acknowledge it, so I can do something good.
Like Audrey said, “I don’t take life seriously, but I do take what I do in life -seriously-.”