By Tish Wiley, Assistant Director of Nursing at Meramec Bluffs
When thinking about leaders who inspire me, four people come to mind: Barack and Michelle Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., and Cecily Tyson. These leaders have all shown beauty, grace, and pride in different ways.
Barack and Michelle Obama come to mind because they showed the world that with hard work and determination you can change and impact the world. This strong African American couple accomplished something that was never done before. They gave the world hope and allowed all African Americans to know not to put a limit on themselves even if society tries to.
Martin Luther King Jr dreamed that we would only be judged by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin. He let nothing hold him back from a movement that accomplished so much for our country. This has allowed us to gain strength from his struggles allowing us to remember that change has never been quick or easy but requires determination and persistence.
I also admire how Cecily Tyson embodied the roles she chose. One of my favorite movies that she was in is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman. The roles she portrayed were strong African American women. In one of her last interviews she was asked how she wanted to be remembered she stated, “I’ve done my best. That’s all.”
Those are words we should all live by “Do Your Best.” I try to live by these words every day and that is one of the reasons I am the woman I am today. I have instilled those words into my children so they grow up knowing if they do their best with everything they do, there will be no regrets. This statement doesn’t stop with my children; I share this quote with my staff, my co-workers, my residents, and my family.