Women of Influence: Pt. 1. A Spirit of Influence

My teenage daughter is currently working on an English paper with a focus on American women writers and their influence on 19th century society. Two of the top names that have come up are Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women.

Stowe’s book notably stirred the debate over slavery and impassioned abolitionists, leading President Lincoln to remark that her book actually started the Civil War!

Little Women is beloved by its readers primarily for its heroine Jo who resists 19th century stereotypes for traditional female roles. Set as a novel, the book influenced its readers to broaden their view of a woman’s place in society beyond solely that of a wife and mother.

While it is easy to document the influence of these and other female writers simply because their beliefs were penned in ink, countless other women also wrote on the pages of that era in so many different ways. (Remember Clara Barton?)

Sometimes, women today believe that to have influence, one must write a book, hold a position, or lead a group.

I used to think that as well, and for a while, I sought position, status, and yes, even some power—thinking of that as “having influence.” Certainly, a position of responsibility has a measure of influence. The mistake is limiting influence to those roles.

Then there came a time when my roles outside of home were set aside. I remained a wife and a mother. I became a graduate student and then teacher to my three children when we began homeschooling.

What I learned was that my influence had not diminished; my sphere of influence had simply changed. Since my role was more personal than professional, I also came to realize that my spirit was more influential than my knowledge or ability.

My children responded to me as their teacher in direct correlation to my personal response to them. If I was too critical in my spirit or too harsh, they would wilt and be diminished. It did not matter if what I said to them was correct. What mattered to them was the spirit in which I spoke it.

A woman’s spirit is the most influential part of her being. It is what she brings into every room she walks into and to every person she encounters. It may be a harsh, unforgiving, arrogant, critical, or embittered spirit. Or it may be a gentle, loving spirit. A kind and tender spirit. A humble, patient, and gracious spirit. It may be a discerning spirit. Or even a joyful and energetic spirit.

Every woman has influence because every woman has a powerful spirit with which she engages humanity.