Monday Musings: Who's Your Rainbow?

March is National Women's History Month and in light of this, I've been thinking about the many women writers who have inspired me over the years: Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Kate Chopin, Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and Eve Ensler...just to name a few.  However, if I had to name just one woman writer that I have turned to time and time again for inspiration and a bit of  "soul-soothing",  it would most certainly be Dr. Maya Angelou.  On days when I feel that I have simply had enough and need a time out, I know I can randomly flip through the pages of  Angelou's poetry or listen to one of her readings, and I'm sure to find comfort and a sense of renewed strength. (Now, some of you may turn to yoga for a similar result...but at my age, I find yoga positions to be rather intimidating and requiring a bit more flexibility than I can muster).



Many years ago as an undergrad, I had an opportunity to attend a speech given by Dr.Angelou.  She spoke of her autobiographies, particularly I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, which I had just recently read for one of my Literature courses.  The title for this book was inspired by the poem , Sympathy, by Paul Laurence Dunbar.  During her speech, Angelou referred to Dunbar and Shakespeare as well as other writers who influenced her as  "her rainbows".  It was these writers that she turned to during some of her most tumultuous periods who became her rainbow amid the clouds, and later inspired her to share her stories through verse and prose.  By sharing her personal stories, she hoped to perhaps become a rainbow herself for others. And for me personally, she has certainly achieved that and so much more.  When I'm faced with challenges and difficulties in life, I find comfort in this "Rainbow" analogy.  If perhaps at some point in time I can provide comfort by sharing my own experiences with someone in a similar situation,  then it suddenly gives purpose to what I may perceive as one of my darker moments.  Angelou often refers to this theme of "Rainbows In My Clouds" and through the wonders of technology and You Tube, I found the following clip to share:


And I'm just mesmerized by her voice; it's like a favorite worn quilt: gravelly and a bit frayed at the edges but once you allow it to envelope you, it becomes familiar and soothing with its warm and rhythmic tones.  She is certainly a very talented writer and one of my personal favorites.  So, as we celebrate National Women's History Month, which female writer(s) inspires you the most?  Who is your rainbow?