Willa ' s World
OUR VALLEY SANTA CLARITA
Honoring Women ' s History Month
Willa Robinson is the CEO / Publisher of Knowledge Power Books , a local independent book publishing company . She is also the President of APSS-Santa Clarita ( Association of Publishers for Special Sales ). www . knowledgepowerbooks ,. com willa @ knowledgepowerinc . com
As we ’ re entering Women ’ s History Month , I want to take time to honor the women in my history who have made an incredible impact in my life and helped me to be the woman I am today .
Mom was a strong , hard working , Black , Christian , woman whose aspirations were to own her plant care business . However , she never accomplished her goal . She had a green thumb and was the neighborhood plant doctor that could bring dead plants back to life . Mom left my dad when I was seven . Like most children you want your parents to stay together . When I was older , I found out the father I knew was not the same one that my siblings knew . He was abusive not only to my mom , but to my siblings as well . She struggled financially as a single parent , working two to three jobs , trying to make ends meet .
One thing I learned from my mom was the power of prayer . Many nights , I awakened to her kneeling in prayer . I saw the fruit of her prayers because she kept a roof over our head . Many times our landlord would come to pick up the rent , and she didn ’ t have it , but God always made a way for her to pay our rent and put groceries on our table . Even before I had my personal relationship with God , I knew the power of prayer .
My mom was 40 when she had me , so having an older sister was a blessing . My sister , Mollie was the voice for my mom when my mom didn ’ t know how to share the facts of life with me . My sister is the BEST sister on this earth . Mollie taught me how to be a young lady . I always admired the pride she took in keeping herself welldressed and looking great in whatever she put on . She is such a source of strength and her strength sharpens mine .
When I look back on all that she has gone through ; the abuse , the losses , the disappointments , and yet - she ’ s still standing , still thriving , and still learning , she gives me so much inspiration to capture that same strength and move forward . My sister is a powerhouse , a giant , full of love . I love her to life !
I ’ m blessed to have had so many loved ones , mentors , and friends in my life that helped me along the way . As a young child before my mom and dad separated , I remember women in our rural community of Kansas City , Kansas meeting at “ The Well , “ a gathering place where they would wash their “ greens ,” some picked from their gardens , some were picked wild . Their conversations were full of wisdom . Although I didn ’ t realize it at the time , these strong women were my first mentors , because they gave me the wisdom that I could do whatever I wanted to do in life .
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