Covetworthy

You have to be taught to be second class; you’re not born that way. -Lena Horne

I pay homage to a true original, Lena Horne, who died today at the age of 92. Coco Chanel once said that a woman needs to be only two things: classy and fabulous. Throw in talented, fiery, original, beautiful and you have Ms. Lena.

When I think of the women of her era, I am amazed at what she endured, what she sacrificed, what she learned to smile and bear to pursue her dreams. The little deaths, the indignities large and small. Singing her heart out to a packed house but not able to order a drink at the same bar.  In what should have the height of her career, she decided to speak her mind and stand her ground, nevermind the impact on her career and her reputation.

I love that she was wholly and undeniably Lena. One of her critics wrote that she was “ageless … tempered like steel, baked like clay, annealed like glass; life has chiseled, burnished, refined her.”

What a wonderful lesson for the rest of us covetworthy ladies in waiting, seeking our own place in history. Today, I honor you, Ms. Horne. You made it okay to play it out on your own terms. Thank you.