“Miss Liberty” strides purposefully across the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in September 1943, leaning forward, perspiring, a wrench in her right hand, loaded down with all manner of equipment, a spade, mop, dust pan and brush, school books and ruler, oil and watering cans, compass, bottles of milk, civil defense cap, telephone operator’s headset, even a typewriter slung across her shoulder. She’s intense, intent. She’s ready for anything.
Norman Rockwell had the knack. With a few brush strokes he captured America.
Norman Rockwell’s Vision of America
Impatient. Determined. Tireless. Innovative. Outward-looking. Favoring the future, with little regard for the past. Hardheaded, at times just plain bullheaded, narrow, narcissistic, superficial, deceitful – lying even to herself. Opinionated, intolerant, blind to injustice. Yet big-hearted, too, for she is kind and jovial. She is resilient, always willing to reinvent herself, especially when her back is against the wall.
She refuses to submit. She will not be defeated. Tomorrow is another day.
The Life of Margaret: A True Mother of Courage
If Norman Rockwell were alive and still working today, I would ask him to paint Margaret Chanin.
For this Mother of Courage was equally determined, tireless, innovative, and outward-looking. Margaret Chanin was a real-life model of Liberty, only with an additional dimension: Faith. Her journey shines in the Memoir of Courage as one of the greatest inspirational life stories of her generation. The Life of Margaret is remembered as one of the most remarkable courage and resilience stories of the 20th century.
Memoir of Courage: Overcoming Adversity Stories
Faced at a young age with a most extreme experience of trauma, the loss of both arms from injuries suffered in a boating accident, Margaret could easily have given up. Instead, buoyed by her abiding faith and by the love and support of her family and friends, she confronted her limitations and overcame them. She was not proud, or embarrassed, or shy. When she needed help, she asked for it. Armless, but with the help of hundreds of pairs of hands, she always found a way.
Inspirational Life Stories of Margaret Chanin
She graduated from dental school, married and raised two boys, and taught preventive dentistry at Nashville’s Meharry Medical College for more than 20 years. Along the way, she became nationally known as an advocate for others with disabilities. By always reaching forth, Margaret became an inspiration not only to those who knew and loved her, but also to thousands of others who read about her from afar.
Her calm and steady demeanor, her elegant yet accessible manner, and her friendly repartee drew people to her. They were bathed in her positivity; warmed by her light. As her good friend Bruce Richards put it, “Margaret made us all better.”
Memoirs of Strong Women and Their Motivational Life Journey
Her story belongs among the great memoirs of strong women, an unforgettable motivational life journey, and powerful stories of courage and hope. Readers who seek inspirational life stories and memoirs of strong women continue to find encouragement in the Mother of Courage legacy.
Stories of Courage and Hope for Everyone
Sure, she had her dark days. But like Miss Liberty, Margaret Chanin refused to submit to the darkness. That refusal is a lesson for all of us. Tomorrow, after all, is another day.