A Thank-You to Some Very Special Women
March is National Women’s History month in the United States. International Women’s Day always takes place on March 8, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fourth Sunday of Lent (this year, March 15) marks Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday.
Now 31 days is certainly not enough to celebrate the triumphs—from the humble to the grand—of women, let alone a mere 24 hours to shine the spotlight on half the world’s population, but shine we shall!
This month, Guide Collective has chosen “Women” as our theme for GC Magazine and has created lot other women-focused content across our website and on Facebook. Most of that, of course, also ties in with travel, history, and culture—we are an online travel resource hub after all. But please allow us the indulgence of making things a bit personal.
Several of us members of GC have shared some photos and tidbits about special women in our lives—women who have influenced us, guided us, helped us to evolve into the people we are today. And to them, we say, “Thank you for being you and for all that you do!”
MARIE SANTA SAVINO
Grandmother of Anna Savino
Anna’s grandmother, Marie Santa Savino
Image | Anna Savino
The day after International Women's Day is my hero's birthday, and this time she is turning 96! Her name is Marie Santa, and you know that in Italian, santa means “saint.” This is exactly what she is! She is the rock and matriarch of our Italian American family, always ready to lend an ear without judgement and a courageous woman who even played the accordion and brought food to the Italian prisoners of war. It is too hard to sum up everything she means to our family and me in such few lines but everyone who knows her including myself aspires to be just like her!
ANNE BROWN
Susan Brown’s Mum
Susan and her mum, Anne
Image | Susan Brown
A shout-out to all the fabulous ladies out there on International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. We are all, in part, a product of our upbringing, and I am very fortunate to have a great relationship with the wonderful lady that is my mum, Anne. My brothers and I know that she has always been there encouraging us when we weren’t sure, celebrating our victories and providing support when things weren’t necessarily going our way. 2020 was a tough year, as we lost my dad in addition to living through the Covid pandemic. I am amazed by the resilience that Mum has shown over this last year and love how she is finding her feet and doing things that she never thought were possible (sometimes through gritted teeth!). I am so lucky that she lives next door to me and we get to spend time together every day. Thanks for being you, love you.
NONNA RENATA & PATTI ROBERTSON BECHI
Respectively, the grandmother and the wife of Roberto Bechi
Roberto’s wife Patti and his Nonna Renata
Image | Roberto Bechi
The first woman who shaped and influenced my life was Nonna Renata, my grandmother. She was born in 1919 and died in 2017. She had a rough childhood with loss in her family and no chance to be educated. She left school after second grade. Nevertheless, she was an incredibly intelligent and caring person. In every step of my life, it was to her life experience I turned to like a compass. From her, I learned how not to bite off more than I could chew and save some money for future bad times. The second person is my wife Patti, an American woman who came to visit Siena (Tuscany) as a young student. Besides falling in love with her, for me, she was and still is the only woman friend I fully trust. From her, I have learned the real meaning of the words “compassion” and “generosity.” She is the least selfish woman I know!
FANNY SEFFUSATTI
Daughter of Nina Seffusatti
Nina with her daughter, Fanny
Images | Nina Seffusatti
My daughter, Fanny, is my wing-woman in tough times. She is my best travel partner. She is a caring young woman who is also intelligent and funny, independent and sensistive, inspirational and beautiful—and I am so proud of her!
From Khalil Gibran “The Prophet” :
..Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth…
MARY ROMANO
Mother of Juliet Romano-Olsen
Juliet and her mom Mary
Image | Juliet Romano-Olsen
I owe my love of travel to my mom, Mary Romano. She’s my travel buddy and is always ready to explore a new place, be it across the world or in our own backyard. We make a great travel team: spending hours learning in museums, enjoying the atmosphere at a cafe or park, or hiking all over a city in search of the best food there is to taste. I can’t wait for our future adventures!
JAN KULCZYCKI
Lisa Anderson’s Mom
Lisa with her mom, Jan
Image | Lisa Anderson
My mom, Jan Kulczycki, was one of the most influential women in my life. My parents divorced when I was three, and my mom didn’t remarry until I had graduated from university. Fiercely independent and ambitious, she became one of the first female managers at Boeing in the 1970s. She told me the story of going back to work after having kids and the obstacles she faced as a woman in the workplace, on her last day of life. It is a memory I will treasure forever.
VIRGINIA TEJADA
Mom to Trish Feaster
Virginia and her daughter, Trish
Image | Trish Feaster
Chemist, physicist, director of activities for convalescent homes, children’s choir director, church choir manager, catechism teacher, mah jong fiend, founding member of the Filipino-American Association of San Diego North County, president of her Filipino association at church, eucharistic minister and a lector, confidante to many, advisor to many more, dedicated wife, loving mother, talented crocheter, wearer of sassy stilettos (still to this day), neat-freak, darn good cook, and devoted caregiver to my dad. My mom, Virginia Tejada, taught me through her own actions and life choices that I could strive for any goal and that the work would always be worth the effort as long as I did it with love, passion, and the intent to help others (not just myself).
Being my first travel partner (cross-country road trips, camping expeditions, a journey to her homeland of The Philippines), she has been my most constant cheerleader in my travel career. She has never wavered in her love and support for me, even when I’ve given her plenty of reason to. And it is through seeing how she selflessly and tirelessly she tends to my dad, how she showers him with affection and honors his dignity, and how she fights tooth and nail to advocate for his best interests that I have learned what pure, unconditional love looks like.
To me, she is an angel, a saint, a superhero. And I am blessed and eternally thankful to be her daughter.
MAGGIE RAWSON
Charlie Rawson’s Mum
Charlie and her mum, Maggie
Image | Charlie Rawson
Wo | A Poem by Charlie Rawson
Dedicated to Maggie
My guide and friend.
The one who brought me home,
We walk across the mountains of our mothers souls
You make me up and bring me down to
feel grounded,
elated
imagined
and not afraid.
I wandered lonely, but not as a cloud,
as a woman who was granted strength
And a chance to wonder
My mistakes are all my own
But my comfort, that voice is yours.
From every side of the earth
I hid my errors, but then,
Packed them up and brought them home
Like dirty washing
Our boots are muddy and stacked by the front door,
And our leggy laughter will forever feed our dreams.
Like broccoli broccoli cheese.
“You can be anything”,
you tell me,
“even with your skirt tucked in your knickers!”
And the wilderness?
Well, whatever happens,
it will always be our space to meet.
