Wonder women

March is Women’s History Month, a perfect time to reflect on the victories and achievements of notable women. It’s also a good time to ponder the battles that have been won by ordinary women.

What’s in a life story? Is there value in the experiences of another?

We’ve profiled two women. One is a young single mother, Rena Perez, 27. While caring for a 2-year-old, she graduated from college and is working on her master’s degree. She is determined to balance parenting and a career.

The other woman, Alice Rhoads, 84, was a single mother in the 1940s and ‘50s, a time when single-parent households weren’t very common. Facing shortages and rationing during World War II, she struggled to keep food on the table and to provide a stable home for her children.

Perez and Rhoads are two very different people,, from very different backgrounds, but they share one powerful connection: They are strong, determined women.

In the 60 years that separate the turbulent times in which Rhoads raised her three sons and the present, a lot has changed. And a lot hasn’t.

Parenting has never been easy. And being a single parent is almost always difficult. Being a woman brings its own unique challenges and rewards.

But history - even the personal history of women who didn’t fly to the moon or cure cancer or make the news for any reason - can inspire us all.