The first woman to be highlighted as part of Women’s History Month is my grandmother. I am part of her legacy. What I share next are pieces of her life as I have experienced, been told and remembered.
My Grandmother married young for love. She and my grandfather had and raised 7 children together. She had multiple miscarriages, some put the number at 12-13 losses. I’d spend several weeks at a time at my grandparents home in the summer. I loved these weeks; I’d explore the hay barn, feed the outdoor cats, hang clothes on the line, and water plants with rainwater collected in milk gallon jugs among many other adventures. Grandma and I would stay up until wee hours of the night playing the card game skip-bo, and I would sometimes get to hang out in the attached beauty shop grandma ran; Daly’s Hairstyling. I also remember grandma making coffee in the mornings for grandpa, and pouring and serving it to him at the kitchen counter. Grandma made every meal for herself and grandpa. I recall seeing grandpa behind the kitchen counter once, and I think he was putting a dish in the sink.
Grandma and grandpa discussed their 4 girls and college. Grandpa did not want to pay for the girls to go college, just to get married and raise children. Grandma disagreed, and felt the girls should go to college, just like their brothers. Grandpa said, okay, but I’m not going to pay for it. So Grandma figured out a way to pay for the girls to go to college; a beauty shop. Grandpa built an attachment to the house, and Grandma opened the beauty shop. All 4 girls had to work in the shop, and they all went to college. All 4 completed their undergraduate degrees, 2 became Nurses, two have Master’s Degrees and one earned a Doctorate.
The name I chose, Daly Counseling & Consulting is a nod to grandma’s attached beauty shop, Daly’s Hairstyling.