A Legacy That Lives On by Natalie

55 years was all Louisa May Alcott needed to make a significant  difference in this world. Her bravery, boldness, passion, hardwork, faith, love, charity, and determination still inspire the world today. 

Lousia May Alcott was born in Pennsylvania to a poor yet loving family. Poverty was a hardship for Lousia but it urged her to begin at a young age her lifelong work—writing. As a woman in the 1800s, becoming a respected writer did not come easy. 

But Lousia managed to find a way around the setbacks thrown her way by those who did not believe in her. Louisa’s compassion for all people urged her to help during a very conflicting time of her life. During the Civil War Lousia not only aided wounded and sick soldiers, but also supported the suffering black people and participated in the Underground Railroad. 

Louisa’s values are ones I strive to emulate. This courageous woman did not back down when her country and friends were struggling. She did all that she could through her writing and actions to help others. Lousia was greatly influenced by her role models and mentors. These included very accomplished writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Although these figures played major roles in her life, her parents were her greatest source of inspiration and encouragement. 

By the time she died, Louisa’s most famous work, Little Women, had sold one million copies. Since that time millions and millions more have continued to sell. Her works and beliefs are timeless and inspiring. Not only her books but her journals, plays, poems, and stories inspired people in her time and haven’t ceased to inspire people to this day. 

Louisa once said, “You have so many extraordinary gifts; how can you expect to lead an ordinary life?” This outstanding woman truly lived up to this quote. She used her many unique and extraordinary talents and gifts to create an extraordinary life and legacy. I had the opportunity to visit Lousia’s burial grounds in Sleepy Hollow Massachusetts. Her grave is humble as her life was, yet the feeling of awe that surrounds her is palpable. Although she now rests, her legacy lives on.