Have you ever been just wowed by someone you know?  A seemingly ordinary, average woman, who acts in an extraordinary, above-average way?  I’ve been wowed.  Many times.

I know women so patient and loving with their kids that I secretly wonder if they’re actually mere mortals.  I know women who are able to make an incredible amount of food for Shabbos, and host an equally incredible number of guests.  I know women who are able to utilize their talents, be it in music, food, hospitality, writing, and achieve amazing results.  I know women who are exceedingly empathetic, and have seen the relief they give those who just need a friendly ear.  I know women who are nearly always positive, and bring with them a contagious feeling of optimism and happiness.

These are some of the women who come to mind when I am feeling frustrated with my limitations, or with my situation.  When I feel like I can’t possibly be calm and patient around my kids (or husband) for one more second.  When I think that the spiritual goals I’ve made for myself are ridiculous and impossible.  When I just feel like eating a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

Everyone needs role models, someone who can represent what we would like to be like someday.  These are the women who inspire us to be greater than we think we can be.  We also all need a good friend, someone to commiserate with when everything seems to be going wrong.  These are the women who inspire us by helping bolster our spirits during the trickier patches of life.

I wanted to create a series which will share and spread these inspirations.  The Perspectives of Marriage series contained some of my most popular posts, and I thought it would be nice to have a series of posts that could be inspirational to all women, regardless of marital status.

So, I’ve came up with some questions about who inspires us, how, when, why and where.  I’d love to hear who inspires you!  If you’re interested in participating, just send me an email (marriedlane@gmail.com), and I’ll send you the questions.  If you want to remain anonymous, that can be arranged.  If you want props and a link to your blog/site/whatever, that can be arranged too.  I think your participation would make this series really great.

My goal is to create a series of posts that we can go to whenever we need a pick-me-up, or a giggle, or a smile.  Wouldn’t that be nice?  I think so, and I hope you do too!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Also, I just created a Facebook page for the blog – you can “like” it in the sidebar, or visit it on Facebook!