It’s Sunday… which means I’m going to let art do the speaking. Enjoy!

Go ahead - Blow your own mind. Do something extraordinary. Do something you would never think of doing. Do something no one else would ever think you would do!

Ginny

I’m not going to tell you what Bregdan Woman this letter is about right now. You wouldn’t believe me anyway if I told you right away! I was hard-pressed to believe it myself when I first learned it.

Let’s start this story when little Marguerite was only 3 years old. Her parent’s tumultuous marriage that had created fear and instability had ended. Her daddy packed a suitcase and sent her and her 4-year-old brother alone on the train to live with his mother.

She was scared and didn’t want to go, but she didn’t have a choice. I can’t fully imagine how terrifying it must have been for a 3-year-old and a four-year-old to be ushered to a train and sent into the unknown. Alone. All they had ever known was fear and instability. What would happen to them now?

They held each other tightly as the train chugged down the tracks. Where were they going?

Thankfully, they had a loving grandmother who took them in and created a life for them.

Four years later, with no notice, her father returned to usher the kids back to his estranged wife. Well, she didn’t want to do that either. She’d settled in with her grandmother. It was the only home she really knew.

Again, seven-year-old Marguerite and her brother didn’t have a choice.

One year later, at age 8, Marguerite was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. She confided in her brother what he had done to her, But was too terrified to tell anyone else. He was the one who told the family how his sister had been violated.

The boyfriend went to jail, but only for 1 day. Just that blows my mind. One day for raping a helpless seven-year-old. Someone else, though they never identified who, couldn’t live with that reality either.

The boyfriend who had raped her was found beaten to death just days after his release.

Despite her own pain, little Marguerite was horrified.

After that incident, when they were returned to their grandmother yet again, Marguerite didn’t protest… she couldn’t. The trauma of all that had happened was simply too much for the little girl to handle.

Marguerite bottled up her pain and simply quit speaking. She thought if she spoke, her mouth would just issue out something that would kill people randomly. It was better not to talk.

Marguerite became mute.

Nearly six years would pass before a word would escape her lips. She had learned way too much about how cruel life can be.

Hope had been crushed from her.

But was it really crushed – or was it simply lying dormant until someone gave her the courage to hope again?

In truth, this letter is actually about TWO Bregdan Women…

In order to understand, we’re going to jump forward to when Marguerite was 15.

It was a close friend and teacher that gave Marguerite the courage to begin to hope again. And, yes, this teacher was a Bregdan Woman too, but this story isn’t about her. That letter will be for another time…

This teacher believed in Marguerite and simply loved her. Never doubt the power of simple love.

She introduced her to classic literature, and slowly… slowly… coaxed her to speak again. I don’t know about you, but I can imagine the conflict in Marguerite’s soul as she struggled to find her voice again.

Can’t you just see the teacher having conversations while Marguerite just watched her?

Can’t you see the emotions racing across Marguerite’s face as she tried to decide if she could really trust this woman?

If it would really be safe to come out of her self-imposed shell into what she already knew was a savagely cruel world?

The Bregdan Teacher did something remarkable. She chose to believe in a young girl who couldn’t believe in herself.

Hope stirred within Marguerite. The fear began to crumble. She found herself wanting to express what was inside.

It took time, but the day came when Marguerite spoke again.

Can’t you just imagine what it must have been like when she opened her mouth and heard her own voice come out of it for the first time in 6 years?

Can’t you imagine what her teacher must have felt when her love finally set the girl’s voice free?

Marguerite walked out of the darkness and began to hope again – to believe her life could be something different than it had up to that point.

Her successes were slow and steady in coming, occurring between tragedy and heartache that just wouldn’t seem to stop. Her life didn’t immediately become wonderful.

She still had many battles to fight and many mountains to climb. You see, Marguerite also had a baby out of wedlock; she had a lover who forced her to work as a prostitute; she married and divorced multiple men; and she lost her son to a kidnapping for a time.

Many things happened to her and around her that should have kept this woman from following her dreams. But here’s the thing… she didn’t let the obstacles stand in her way. She chose to be a Bregdan Woman, and she simply kept moving forward.

So, why am I telling you this story? What makes Marguerite so important?

It’s time for me to tell you who Marguerite really is. You probably know her by her brother’s nickname for Marguerite. He called her Maya.

Have you heard of her?

Maya Angelou.

If you have, I bet you are as surprised as I was. I was absolutely amazed that this icon of grace and wisdom had endured so much tragedy. Her life story isn’t easy to hear.

It’s not as pretty as her acclaimed poetry.

It’s hard to believe that mute little girl went on to be billed as poet, dancer, producer, historian, playwright, director, best-selling author – she continued to perform in her 80’s until shortly before her death at age 86.

When she died, she was working on her latest book!

That’s how I intend to end my life - while still writing!

Maya’s life was far from easy – but it was out of the struggle and pain that she became a Bregdan Woman. It was out of her pain and struggles that she found her voice.

It was out of her pain and struggles that she gained the wisdom and empathy that poured out of everything she did. Here’s the truth – she would not be as powerful if she had not had to overcome great pain.

I hate that reality, but I recognize the truth.

She wouldn’t be able to impact lives so powerfully if she hadn’t learned the power of Choosing Hope over and over again. If she hadn’t chosen to be anything less than a Bregdan Woman.

ANY of the things she endured could have made her decide to curl up in a ball and never live life again. Who would have blamed her? Especially those of you listening to me who actually have curled up into a ball.

Or if all you want is to curl up into a ball and give up.

Trust me - I know what it’s like to feel that way! I know what it’s like to curl up into a ball. But here’s the thing…

It’s women like Maya who made me refuse to give up on hope and life.

I chose hope. I chose life.

I’m hoping her story will make your choice easier. Yes, there are women who have made the choice to curl up into a ball and live in misery.

But is that really what you want? I don’t believe so, because you’re reading a letter about a Bregdan Woman.

There is something, perhaps buried deep inside you right now, that wants you to live your life differently. There is a part of you that wonders if you can be a Bregdan Woman, too.

Or perhaps, there is someone special in your life that needs to find the courage Maya had. Share this story with them.

Let Maya Angelou’s story give you the courage to come out of the darkness and choose to be what you dream about.

Will you be as famous as Maya Angelou? Maybe. Maybe not. That’s not the point. The point is that you can turn your pain into great things. You can let pain become your friend because of all the empathy and passion it allows you to live with once you have overcome it.

That is what being a Bregdan Woman is all about!

Will you choose hope?

Will you choose life?

Will you find the voice that only you have?

*********************

What will you do to be a Bregdan Woman?

What will you do today to impact history??

Thank you for joining me in being part of the woven braid of life.

I’m on this journey with you…

Ginny

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Hello Bregdan Woman,

11 years ago, in 2015, I was desperately trying to find an answer to a question…

I wasn’t convinced I could, but I was trying to believe the answer was YES.

Only time would tell…

The question? Was it possible for me to make friends with the wind?

Or was I truly going to do what I anticipated – go totally nuts?

In 2015, while I was writing Always Forward (book # 9 in The Bregdan Chronicles), I had rented a beach house in Florida.

There were many things I loved about living on the beach in St. Augustine. The wind was not one of them! I was grateful when the cloying heat retreated before the winter months but was more than a little alarmed by the force of the winds.

15 mph… 20 mph… 30 mph…

If you live in the Midwest, you’re used to endless winds. After 20+ years in the glory of the Pacific Northwest, I was NOT.

As the days of high winds rolled on, I kept checking the weather to find out when it was going to pass. Surely, there was just some kind of disturbance out to sea causing it. My heart sank as I saw high winds forecast for the 10-day forecast – EVERY day that I checked it.

Surely it wasn’t going to be like that all winter!

But what if it was? I knew I couldn’t take it. It would push me over the edge.

During a fabulous Thanksgiving celebration with friends, I asked my hostess (who had lived in St. Augustine for 20+ years) if the wind always blows.

Her reply? “Well, it doesn’t blow hard here in town, but there is always a stiff wind on the beach.”

I stared at her in dismay. “Always?”

“Does it bother you?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes!”

Why did it bother me so much? It didn’t take me long to figure that out. When I was sitting in my 3rd floor office overlooking the beach, it was completely disquieting to have the wind howling, and the windows quivering in their frames. There seemed to never be a moment of peace and quiet – something I crave.

Another thing is that I love biking on the beach. Having a 30 mph wind at your back is exhilarating as you fly down the hard packed sand, but at some point you have to turn around to come home. Riding into a 30 mph wind was not quite so much fun!

Ditto with a paddle board out in the waves… I hadn’t been biking or paddle boarding since the wind started blowing so hard.

Walking was not quite so daunting, though walking into a 30 mph wind isn’t really all that much fun either. I still did my 6 miles a day, but I had to put a bandana over my mouth and nose to keep from swallowing blowing sand, and don sunglasses to protect my eyes!

My poor dog got to the point where he refused to go, watching me with pity as I stepped into a sheet of blowing sand. I’m confident he was questioning my sanity.

He wasn’t the only one.

One day, a short squall came through. I watched in disbelief as 40 lb chairs were picked up and thrown around. Seriously??

But the biggest issue was never having a moment of quiet and calm. Not inside. Not outside.

So, what did I do? I was stuck there through the winter – until I finished my book.

As I sat outside one morning, watching the beautiful moon glisten on the water, being buffeted by winds… Sigh…

I realized I had to make friends with the wind. I could grumble… I could moan and complain… I could sigh… trust me, I was doing all those things… or I could simply accept that the wind was going to BLOW. Since I’m not really into being a victim and a martyr, the only other choice was to make friends with the wind.

I started by trying to focus on all the good things about the wind. Yeah, it took some stretching…

I pulled out a journal and began to write.

The wind kept any mosquitoes away (that’s actually a BIG one).

The wind made the sea oats on the dune in front of the house dance and sway all the time.

The wind made a cool rustling sound through the palm trees.

Once I’d written a few things down, it became easier to discover more.

The wind kept it from feeling as hot as it really was, and it dried my sweat as I was power-walking on the beach.

I’m not the only one who doesn’t like the wind, so the beaches weren’t as crowded as other places (that’s a BIG one, too!). I loved it when I had the beach all to myself.

I continued to stretch as I searched for gratitude…

I realized I had been forced into a place of conscious gratitude as I tried to come up with more good things about the wind.

The wind was great for kite flying (It was time to haul out my stunt kite)!

The wind brings out the kite surfers (that’s a BIG one, too, because I loved watching them soar through the air over the water – the brilliantly colored kites pulling them along.) I so want to do it!

I was forced to accept the truth.

There are good things about the wind. Since it was evidently not going to stop blowing for a very long time, I had the opportunity to practice conscious gratitude.

A LOT! I decided to be grateful for that.

You see, that’s what a Bregdan Woman does.

I have some questions for you. You might as well get used to questions, because there are going to be a lot of them. I’m not here to simply tell you things – I want you to think about what you’re hearing.

Here are your questions.

What do you need to make friends with?

What do you need to choose Conscious Gratitude for?

We all have things in our life that we simply have no control over. You and I both know the wind is not really a big deal in the scope of life. There are things in life we can’t control that are much bigger… The loss of a loved one. A painful divorce. Illness. Political upheaval. A major natural catastrophe that rips our world away. I know you can add to my list…

Lack of control is lack of control. It’s easy to allow it to consume us, to swallow us, and to steal our joy and peace.

But… It doesn’t have to be that way.

Bregdan Women can control how we respond to things… how they impact our life… how we choose to deal with things – no matter what it is.

It’s good to remind myself of this daily.

I’m going to keep making friends with the wind – and whatever else comes my way!

I encourage you to look at the things in your life that you need to make friends with – and begin to do it today!

Remember, your life will help determine the course of history. What will you do today? Who will you BE today?

What will you do today to impact history??

I’m on this journey with you…

Ginny

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Today is the first day of the Relaunch of I Am A Bregdan Woman – complete with audio files for every letter. I struggled with who to start with. There are endless amazing women in the world, but only one woman that will forever hold the place of the woman I have loved and admired most.

I first laid eyes on Beth Tielke when I was at a conference for a company I had become involved with about twenty-five years ago, when I was in my early forties.

She was walking down a hallway, surrounded by a crowd of people. Her silvery curls framed a face that glowed with life and love. Her laughter rose into the air like tinkling bells. She radiated energy with every breath. I was totally mesmerized.

I was instantly drawn to her but never had a chance to meet her. She was surrounded the entire weekend by her entourage of admirers. I was a nobody.

One year later, I was at another conference. I was no longer a newbie. This time I was there as a speaker and seminar leader. I walked into a breakfast that first morning to speak, saw the woman I had wanted to meet the year before, and plopped down next to her.

“Hi, I’m Ginny.”

“Oh, honey, I know exactly who you are,” she responded.

She was the same. The same sparkling eyes. The same glowing face. The same loving spirit. I was just as mesmerized as I’d been the year before.

A remarkable relationship began. Little did I know how much she would change my life when she adopted me as her “daughter” – a title I was honored to be given.

Beth Tielke quickly became a role-model and mentor to me, redefining my meaning of the word success.

Beth worked hard for many years on her family’s dairy farm on the Nebraska plains, battling cold and heat alongside her husband, Bill. She raised her 7 children. Aware there wasn’t enough money to send her children to college, she left the farm and plunged into the business world she knew nothing about – owning a store, several restaurants, and a sandwich business – learning as she went. Some of the businesses are still running; only now her children and grandchildren operate them.

And, yes, all her children went to college.

When she reached retirement age, Beth had earned the right to sit back and enjoy life. Did she? Well, she enjoyed life immensely, but she certainly didn’t sit back. This dynamo of a woman traded in her brick-and-mortar businesses for 3 different home-based businesses. Her phone rang continuously, and her home was full of friends, clients, and family – that is when she wasn’t roaming all over Nebraska spreading love to as many people as she could!

All these things were wonderful, but they weren’t what made Beth Tielke such an amazing person to me. To understand that you have to know about Share Our Dream – an organization she started.

Beth was only happy when she was giving – when she was making a difference in someone’s life.

She understood that in order for a gift to make a difference it didn’t have to be large – it just had to be given from the heart, to the right person, in the right way.

These words are so powerful, they deserve to be repeated…

She understood that in order for a gift to make a difference it didn’t have to be large – it just had to be given from the heart, to the right person, in the right way.

Share Our Dream was about spreading a little bit of sunshine to as many people as she could in her town of O’Neill, Nebraska. Population? About 3500.

Share Our Dream was about allowing other people to give small gifts – all they were able to – so they could know the joy of giving.

It was about an elderly woman who just lost her husband crying with joy when she received a Share Our Dream card with a certificate for a piece of pie from a local restaurant.

It was about a little boy who realized someone cared when he got a certificate for a free ice cream cone from the local ice cream parlor.

It was about local businesses giving coupons for a cookie a week for Beth to give away to someone who needed a little drop of sunshine.

It was about a local florist donating one arrangement a month to bring joy to someone’s life.

It was about a local resident with very little money who committed to providing a coupon for one ice cream cone a week – making a difference with what little she had.

It was about helping a 14-year-old pianist pay to have his first CD cut, then using a portion of the proceeds to give more gifts.

The stories go on and on…. From the day Beth started Share Our Dream (paying for most of the costs from her own pocket) over 1600 people benefited in some way.

Think about that! 1600 people…

It was about neighbors and friends feeling special and helping others feel special.

It was about people knowing they were SEEN.

It was about teaching all of us how to live – how to be truly successful.

It’s realizing success is not about what we have, it’s more about what we can give.

Can I repeat that? It’s realizing success is not about what we have, it’s more about what we can give.

It’s about realizing that while we may not be able to “Outgive the Universe,” it certainly is fun to try.

Here’s the thing, though. This amazing Bregdan Woman wasn’t done!

When Beth was 79, I helped her start another organization - Nebraska Troop Support.

I could never say no to Beth – even if I had wanted to. She would look at you with those loving and wise blue eyes, and you would do whatever she wanted.

No matter who you were!

For five years, this indomitable woman sent care packages to many thousands of our troops in Iraq & Afghanistan. She brightened the days of hundreds of veterans in hospitals, and those at home who simply appreciated knowing someone remembered.

People all over Nebraska donated things for her to send – because she asked. Her home resembled a warehouse, but she turned nothing away – knowing someone would feel a touch of love when they received a package.

It was because of her passion that people stepped up to be a part of Nebraska Troop Support. One elderly woman knitted over 1000 pairs of warm slippers that went into the boxes. Hotel chains donated toiletry items. Musicians donated CD’s. People donated hundreds of Beanie Babies and other small gifts for the military to give to the local children. And individuals bought as much as they could to add to the boxes.

Beth had help, but she was the powerhouse behind her organization. She spent hundreds of hours at local fairs and events, accepting donations for mailing costs. She gave up almost every room in her house to store the donations because she didn’t want to diminish the impact by using any of the money for a storage facility. Every week, she packed boxes with those who came to help.

Beth died at age 84 – taking a big piece of my heart with her. I miss her every single day.

At her last family gathering, there were 80+ children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

This Bregdan Woman left a powerful legacy – not only for her family, but for the tens of thousands of others she touched along the way.

One of my goals in life is to be like Beth Tielke as I age – continually giving in every way I can.

All of us have the ability to make a difference – no matter how much money we do, or do NOT, have. Giving comes from the heart. All it takes is creativity and sensitivity to those around you.

It takes SEEING each person you encounter.

You’ll discover as I send you stories about amazing Bregdan Women that I like to ask questions. So, here are my questions today.

Will you do something today? In honor of Beth?

Who will you truly see today? What will you do to make them feel seen?

A Bregdan Woman is compassionate. I can’t think of a better person than Beth Tielke to demonstrate that.

Find someone who needs a ray of sunshine and do something for them. Remember, it doesn’t have to be big – it just needs to come from the heart. Giving, to me, is the best indicator that you understand being a Bregdan Woman.

What will you do today to be a Bregdan Woman?

What will you do today to impact history??

Thank you for joining me in being a part of the woven braid of life.

I’m on this journey with you…

Ginny

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This story began when the nine brothers and sisters huddled together in their small, simple home.

“Ok, it’s decided then, right?”

“Right!”

“When one of us gets to the university, he or she will help the next one get there. Right?”

“Right!”

What a conversation! In many countries this idea wouldn’t have been as big a deal as it was for Antonieta and her eight sisters and brothers. Born into a rural Mayan-Kaqchiukel family in Guatemala, it was rare enough for males to get an education – unheard of for females!

How did they think they were going to pull off their agreement?

Life is anything but easy for the indigenous people of the Guatemalan Highlands. More than 50% of the poor, rural, primarily indigenous population lacks even the most basic of services (including schools). Only 7% of their homes have access to telephones, radios, or other communication.

When it comes to Indigenous women, it’s especially hard. They live on the outside edge of society. They don’t have the same opportunities as men to study, learn Spanish, leave their communities, and improve themselves; much less serve in public office. They’re mistreated within their own communities by being forced into servitude to their husbands. In addition, because they often live in extreme poverty, women must concentrate on feeding their families with little or no thought to their own needs or rights.

It was in this world that nine brothers and sisters came together to make a pact.

A pact that enabled Antonieta Castro Abaj to push her way out of this marginalized existence.

Her parents encouraged all their children to study. They believed the siblings would fulfill their pact.

I’m excited to tell you that each sibling did attend university. Not one of them married before the age of 30 because of their commitment to the others. From extreme poverty to economic success, the Abaj family now has a veterinarian, doctor, teacher, and pilot.

And they have Antonieta - who is championing the cause of indigenous women in Guatemala and throughout Central America! After years of working with different businesses around the world, she had the knowledge and experience to follow her true passion.

She went back home to Guatemala.

Antonieta knew all too well that the poorest of the poor didn’t have time to think about human rights – they were too busy just trying to stay alive. She searched for a way to help these people, especially the women who were at the very bottom rung of society. She knew she couldn’t get them excited about their rights, or the possibility of escape from their dire situations, with empty promises of freedom.

She was determined to enable other overlooked Indigenous women to discover their own power.

She had to provide something tangible that would positively affect their husbands as well.

What did they need the most? Well, the answer to that question was simple - they needed money.

So Antonieta did what a Bregdan Woman would do. She came up with a plan - one that the women couldn’t resist…

She would offer women small, no-interest loans, and help them advance financially, IF they would attend one of her study groups.

I laughed when I learned this. Bribery can be very effective when used for the right reasons! 😊

But here’s the thing… Having a plan is one thing. Turning your plan into a reality is something else entirely.

Antonieta went door-to-door recruiting women with the promise of financial help, if they would attend a special group she was offering just for them.

It worked!

Lured by the promise of money, the women were willing to discover what the meetings were all about.

Antonieta was determined to open the women’s minds to possibilities they had never dreamed of.

The study groups discussed topics ranging from local community issues to national and even international politics. Through their discussions the women not only learned about their rights but also developed interest in the politics of their local community and region.

In a world where women like them didn’t really have value, just being in the same room with other women who were being challenged to think differently had to be mind-boggling.

Being given money to start businesses, and then receiving the training for success, was as equally mind-boggling.

As the women brought in additional income, their husbands and families encouraged them to continue attending the study group. They would deal with a little mind expansion if money came along with it!

Antonieta’s plan succeeded wildly.

Equipped with new knowledge and a new confidence, the women were ready to become involved at the community level.

Antonieta taught them about the importance of having personal identification cards, and then helped them obtain them. With these cards, the women were able to register to vote. Wow!

She also encouraged them to attend community meetings, and helped them contact the correct officials about their particular concerns. Finally, she encouraged them to run for elected office. She made them believe they could.

Courageous Bregdan women stepped forward to run for office. They fostered hope and they set the precedence for the ones who followed.

How exciting!

Knowing she is only one woman who can do just so much, Antonieta trains the women who are members of the study groups how to recruit, start new groups, educate, and train even more women.

She understood the power of multiplication!

Her simple approach has spread throughout Guatemala and Central America.

This Bregdan Woman has made a huge difference for marginalized people in her country, as well as throughout Central America. She is one who speaks with knowledge and authority, because she has already accomplished what she teaches others to do.

Wisdom comes from experience and knowledge.

You may have a dream as big as Antonieta, but you can also make a difference where you are today – in your neighborhood, your city, your state.

A Bregdan Woman understands the power of empowering other women to realize who they truly are.

Here are your questions…

Who can you empower today?

Who needs to hear that they are far more than they know they are?

Who needs to believe they can do more than they imagine?

What will you do to be a Bregdan Woman?

What will you do today to impact history??

I’m on this journey with you…

Ginny

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