I had the opportunity this month to feature stories about women in the Gates County Index in celebration of Women's History Month.

I wanted to share a little something about each of those featured and highlight women who are not traditionally featured in newspaper stories. There stories are important and they have excelled in their professionals but more than often they are overlooked in some instances.

The so-called "unsung heroes" never receive the credit they deserve for what they do and opportunities such as this one allow people like me to recognize them and honor them for a job well done.

The stories of these young women are just the beginning of many that can be told about other women who have made great strides in their professional and in other areas. There are hundreds of women who started in the small backwoods of Gates County and who have gone on to make a success for themselves and bring honor to their hometowns.

There are hundreds of women who have raised children and are now raising grandchildren who have sacrificed and given all they can for their children to maintain, gain a good education and be successful.

We are fortunate to have women who have been places and seen things that many of us will never see in our lifetimes, but they want to come home and share their experiences with all of us. The women who were featured this month had stories to tell but were too modest in most cases to share all that have done and have been through.

That shows me how very much they deserved to be mention in some small manner. It's not always the awards you receive that make a significant impact. Awards are great and we are happy when we receive them, but all they do is line the walls of offices and occasionally someone plays attention and ask you what you won that one for.

The most impact is shown by those in get out there in the trenches and work side-by-side with those co-workers, clients and friends. There should be no job you're willing to ask someone else to do if you are not willing to do it yourself.

If a few more people adopted this attitude, the workplace would be a much better place to work and the atmosphere around the workplace would be an enjoyable one.

Most of us have some special people in our lives who have influenced us and most of us can related to a special woman who has molded our path and pointed us in the right direction.

Our mothers – who loved us unconditionally – whether we were good or bad, gave so much and directed your path in many ways. She taught you the essentials and after you're an adult you can honestly look back and wonder what you would have done without all that valuable information.

Your grandmother – full of wisdom – provided you with that knowledge that was far beyond years. The things a grandmother teaches you come from old-timely experience. I know you can relate to those old-time remedy she use to use for anything from a headache or toothache to a cold. That stuff worked too and now you look back and hit yourself for not writing some of that stuff down.

For those mothers who have experienced childbirth – you say there is nothing like it. You complain about being fat and ugly, but when that baby is born and you hold that child in your arms, there's no greater gift.

The sister whose there no matter what. She listen to you and gives honest observation. You couldn't ask for anything better than that. She's there when all the friends don't have time to talk.

I've said all of this to say that I want to congratulate the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and all the women for their contributions to this great nation – great or small. You have made great strides and with God's help, you will continue to do so.