Wonderful Women, Femmes Formidables

I was up early this morning. With the cool temperatures I was raring to go and before nine I had the place clean and the ironing done. I also had lunch made. Elaine, an English friend is coming: she is one of my Wonderful Women or Femmes Formidables. Nice that the alliteration works with the translation.

Who are my WWs and my FFs? They are women who independently live life on their terms, taking whatever risks are necessary to reach their dreams. When they don’t succeed, they try another route, but they don’t give up. They will change countries, start businesses, put themselves into situations that shake them up as they enrich themselves.

There’s Christina who after never working and left a widow bought a hotel and started an art centre, or Magali, who having survived a number of bad relationships, began to paint. Two of her works are on my walls. She had lived in a farm house that was a center for animals and children as she painted. The house bristled with creativity and laughter. Only when she moved did I realize that she had lived without hot water for years. Or there’s May who is walking the St. James de Compostela trail. Or Valerie who gave up a job she hated to start her own business. It still isn’t going well, but she’s looking for alternatives.

These are women who think nothing of suddenly going to Africa on their own and don’t worry about language or even alphabets. Much of their money or lack there of comes from their own hard work.

All of them, despite setbacks, are happy people. Yes, they have downtimes, but overall they have found that to be happy is to celebrate what you have not mourn what you don’t. They see the pleasure in the route not the destination.

What I also notice about all them, money is only the tool to their goals. None seem to care about material possessions for their own sakes, but they really care about the experiences they have.
This doesn't mean they don't have nice homes, but it there are homes are made with love first not stlye.

I am lucky to have met them all.