1
I mentioned last week the importance of Titus 2 women. I've been lucky enough to have found several of them in the women's group that I joined. To be honest, my relationships with these women is somewhat temporary - I've known them since last fall, but will probably not see them again after this spring. Despite how short-lived their influence may be, they still have an important impact on me.
2
The leader of our group embodies who I hope to be thirty years from now. Happily married wife, mother of five, grandmother of three so far, devoted friend, very active in her parish, reads a ton about her faith, and just an overall cheerful woman who is pleasant to be around. She is so happy to be blessed with her faith, and her enthusiasm really is contagious. Seriously, she is just what I want to grow up to be.
3
Another woman in the group that I am impressed by is a widow. She lost her husband to cancer a couple years ago, and has continued on, supporting their two children in college. I don't know her too well yet (she joined us more recently), but I'm discovering more and more how strong women are when they lose their husbands.
4
I'm also discovering how strong women can be when they don't ever have husbands. There is a 50ish year old single woman in our group. It's not like she chose to be single and never have the opportunity to bear children (if she'd planned on that, she could've just become a nun). But she has obediently continued in her faith despite this disappointment. She has taken care of her entire family, who have a myriad of health problems. Her family (parents, sister, and I think brother) have always lived with her, and she works long hours at the hospital just to come home and continue caring for them. She is a great example of perseverance, and duty to family.
5
And for the final marriage variation: the divorcee in the group. You wouldn't necessarily think there would be one in a group of faithful Catholic women, but the funniest and most dynamic lady was. Despite her outgoing personality, you could tell how much her divorce pained her. She still prayed for her ex-husband, as he was still the father of their children after all. The thing I was most impressed by was the fact that she was still taking her wedding vows seriously. There was absolutely no talk of dating or remarriage or trying to find a way to get an annulment. Her only spouse from now on would be Christ. And while she was finding him rather demanding at times, she was so happy to be united with him.
6
To end this list, I have to include the woman in the group I admire most. Ten years ago, her husband had a stroke. He has never been the same, and caring for him is a full-time job. It can be painful, especially when she doesn't even recognize the man she married in him. She is simultaneously making sure to care for their deteriorating parents, visiting her mother-in-law in the nursing home every single day. Her humility shines, as she doesn't see anything special about how patiently and faithfully she goes about these tasks. When her husband was having a bad day, he yelled at her "I'm too much work for you! Why don't you just leave me?" She was completely shocked; that thought had never crossed her mind. She had married him for better and for worse, forever.
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As you can see, all different types of women can be such an inspiration and such a blessing. You don't have to experience the same situations to find ways to apply their wisdom to your own life. I think being around these women has particularly emphasized to me the importance and the permanence of our marital vows. I've also learned so much about femininity and (spiritual) motherhood from them, along with the importance of being joyful in your faith.
Have you learned anything from any Titus 2 women?