Today was the annual University Career Women's conference. I had the honor of attending and having the oppurtunity to hear Lucy Hawking speak. Many probably think of her father, Stephen Hawking, the famous theoretical physicist. Lucy's keynote speach was inspirational. Here is a woman who is the middle child of the most famous theoretical physicsit in the world, and the mother of a son with autism. She grew up with a severely disabled father, has traveled the world, authored numerous books, and is currenly finishing her year as writer-in-residence for the ASU Origins Project, which is only the start of her multitude of accomplishements.
Her list of roles and titles is staggering, but she's just like every other woman who juggles career and family. And as she neared her 40th birthday, she, like so many other women in this world felt that she had hit a dead end. So, she travelled 6000 miles to Arizona. Apparently her family and friends waited a month after she arrived to tell her they thought she was crazy, but that didn't stop her.
She has lived with the stares and curiosity of those who don't understand her father's disability and need for autonomy, survived an all girl's boarding school, moved to Russia just as communism fell, got strandad in Syberia, has reported in some of the more dangerous countries, and is raising her autistic son. Her life has been an adventure; not always one of her choosing, but an adventure non the less. And through all of it, she has shown strength and grace. Her experiences have not been easy or even fair, but it's clear her joy for life has never diminished. I can only hope that I can live my life with the same level of grace and joy as she has.
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