Universally recognized as a visionary for her courage, dignity, ingenuity and resilience, Somaly has been honored as one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2009" and as a CNN Hero.
Nazarian selected 20 stirring success stories of women, some living and some deceased, who have made a difference. The list includes writers, artists, politicians, spiritual leaders, business moguls, architects, athletes and activists.
My hope is that the stories of these visionary women present to us the flame of the passionate life, the knife of insight, and the courage to stand for what one sees without looking away.
We may grieve for the role and life we used to have, yet at the same time can be assured that there is much to look forward to with the new freedom to come.
Our culture is picking up on the reality that there is no expiration date on passion. One can have it in their nineties, while some lose it in their youth.
How can it be that I can still feel so close to that person I was then and yet have a child that is literally the age of the girls that I see before me?
I believe that somewhere deep in our hearts is the archive of all our intimate memories and desires, and the experiences we were meant to have. And we go through life as if it were a cosmic treasure hunt...