Margaret Thatcher

"If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman"

In celebration of the birth of the future King of England, I wanted to celebrate a woman from the United Kingdom who was never afraid to make enemies, The "Iron Lady." Though I do not personally agree with her politics, Thatcher broke many barriers and glass ceilings as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979-1990.

Margaret Thatcher came from Gratham, where her parents owned a grocery business and her father was a local councilor. She was a good student, and was admitted to Oxford University, where she studied Chemistry at Somerville College. While at Oxford, she was elected President of the student Conservative Association at Oxford, where she gained recognition within the Conservative Party. After graduation, she ran twice as Conservative Candidate for Labour Seat at Dartford at the General Elections, where she gained national notoriety as the youngest woman candidate in country. Lost both times but had gained enough support that sh was elected to Parliament in 1959.

Thatcher was elected Leader of the Conservative Party in 1975, and became Prime Minister 1979. She was the first woman to lead a major Western Democracy, and is the only British Prime Minister of the 20th Century to win three consecutive terms. From economic policies to the Falkland War, Thatcher lead with conviction, even though there were many who did not agree with her. In the end, she was forced to resign due to political challenges within the party, but she left a legacy of leadership and conviction that is still admired today.

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't"

Diane Von Furstenberg

"The most important relationship in your life is the relationship that you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens, you will always be with yourself."

Diane Von Furstenberg, other than having the same initials as me, has always been one of my favorite designers. Not only is does she design timeless dresses that are perfect for every generation, she also speaks often about the need for women to believe in themselves.

Diane Simone Michelle Halfin was born in Belgium, 18 months after her mother was released from the Aushwitz Concentration Camp. She met her first husband, Prince Egon of Furstenberg, while attending The University of Geneva, and soon married him, becoming Princess Diane Zu Furstenberg. She began designing in 1970, with a $30,000 investment. She had no financial need to work, but craved the independence that having an occupation provided.

Furstenburg not only creates beautiful clothing, she also is engaged in Charity Work in order to make the world a more beautiful place. She created the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation with her second husband, Barry Diller, which funds work in Community Building, Educaiton, Human Rights, Arts, Health nad the Environment. The Family Foundation also funds the DVF Awards, which annually highlights four women who display "leadership, strength and commitment to women's causes." Each awardee of the DVF Awards receives a $50,000 award to further their work.

Diane Von Furstenberg is the type of woman that I would like to be, and I solute her for all that she has done and all that she has yet to do.

"The most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are."

Princess Diana

"People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer (to fulfillment). Actually a job is better for me."

Growing up, there were few people as iconic as Princess Diana. I wasn't alive for her 1981 fairy tale wedding to Prince Charles, but she was one of the first celebrities that I admired. At the time, I thought of her as a style icon, someone who always presented herself perfectly, but there was so much more to her than beauty and grace.

Instead of limiting herself to the public appearances and ribbon cuttings, Princess Diana used her celebrity status to highlight issues that others were ignoring. From AIDS to Landmines to local issues, Diana was the champion of her causes and helped make the world a better place. In April 1987, She was the first high profile celebrity to be photographed touching an AIDS-infected person, showing that, "if the Princess of Wales could hold the hand of a man with AIDS, who could claim to be above it?" (Bill Clinton, 2001). 

Another cause close to her heart, especially in the last years of her life, was the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In January 1997, she visited Angolia as an International Red Cross VIP Volunteer, where she visited land mine survivors in hospitals, toured de-mining projects run by the HALO trust, and attended mine awareness education classes about the dangers of mines immediately surrounding homes and villages. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for their efforts, only months after her death.

I still remember watching her funeral with my stepmother, in awe of the emotion that her untimely death caused the world. But Princess Diana not only left behind more than her two sons, she left behind a legacy of service. There is now the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to support her charitable causes, and charity work is now the expectation of public figures, not an exception.

"Two things stand like stone - kindness in another's trouble and courage in your own"

Abigail Adams, ForeMOTHER of the American Revolution

As we set off to the Cape and Martha's Vineyard to spend a long weekend by the beach setting off fireworks, it's important to remember why we are celebrating, and that, if the colonies had not stood up to fight against tyrany all of those years ago, life would be much different for all of us. And, while we thank John Hancock, George Washington, Ben Franklin and all of our Forefathers, it is important to also take a moment to remember our ForeMOTHERS.

It's incredible how ahead of her times Abigail Adams truly was. Married to John Adams in 1764, Abigail Adams exchanged over 1,100 letters with her husband in the course of their courtship and marriage, discussing everything from family to politics to the formation of our country. Though he didn't always abide by her advice John Adams confided in her and sought her guidance while at in the Continental Congress.

Abigail Adams was one of the first feminists, and encouraged her husband to consider the rights of women when they were forming the United States Constitution. Though the rights of women were not granted until 150 years later, she was brave enough to ask:

 "Whilst you are proclaiming peace and good will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist on retaining absolute power over wives. Remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could. "(March 31, 1776)

Women these days often take for granted the ability to own our own property and even vote, but it took a long time and many brave women, like Abigail Adams to get here. So, while you are watching the fireworks, remember why we are celebrating and how far we have come.