these women, i tell ya.

The other day as I was watching "You've Got Mail" for the umpteenth time {because, really, every Fall you HAVE to watch that movie at least twice}, I realized that there are a few literary and film characters {or both} who have had the biggest impact on my life, who have shaped me and my thoughts and my plans, and I admire them. 

Sure, they're fictional, but what they are and what they do and what they stand for are real to me. But the thing I love most about these women is that they are all very brave. The greatest compliment I've ever received was when someone told me he thought I was brave. Whether or not that's actually true about me, these women are, and I like to think us brave girls stick together. 

And so. The list of Alexa's favorite fictional women, and why, in no particular order:

Jo March

Josephine March is my girl crush. She is my spirit animal. Jo is not afraid to march {see what I did there? That's a knee-slapper} into her neighbor's house to take care of a sick boy, she's not afraid to rescue her sister from the depths of an icy pond, she's not afraid to run to a new city when she just needs a break. 

The part that I admire most about Jo is when she told Laurie "no." That's a hard, scary thing, something I've had to do before. Ripping off a security blanket of something that's good, but not the best, is terrifying. But when I had to do it, I looked to Jo. It was tough, the thing she and I had to do, but if Jo has taught me anything, it's that the ultimate outcome is SO much better. 

{If you want to read more about my thoughts on Jo, click here.}

Kathleen Kelly

Going to the mattresses. That's what Kathleen Kelly does when it's time for her to be brave. She proves that just because you're adorable and love daisies and twinkle lights, it doesn't mean you can't have a backbone. 

Kathleen Kelly also knows how to bow out gracefully. She ultimately lost her fight with big bad Fox Books, and while I'm sure she was upset about it, she accepted defeat and plunged on ahead. And the best part is that, because she was always so kind, there were people waiting on the other side who wanted to help her out. What a girl, that Kathleen Kelly.

{Read more about Kathleen and one of my favorite writers, Norah Ephron, here and here.

Maria Von Trapp {as played by Julie Andrews}

How do you solve a problem like Maria? You don't, because Maria isn't a problem.  What a brave girl to not only take on seven children, but to go against all of their rules. 

I admire most Maria's commitment to God. She wanted so badly to be a nun, but when she felt like God had a different plan for her, she went with it. Now that right there is bravery.

Scarlett O'Hara

If you're looking for brave, Scarlett O'Hara is your girl. When I first read the book, I admit that I hated Scarlett. To me, she was a stubborn, spoiled brat, who couldn't see how much Rhett loved her because she was so convinced that she had to have someone else.

But when I read it and watched the movie again, I saw her differently. I saw a girl who was trying to get the best for herself. Sure, some of her methods were a little questionable, but Scarlett knew how to fight. One of my favorite scenes from both the book and the movie is when, after her family loses everything during the Civil War, Scarlett stands in her garden and shouts, "As God as my witness, as God as my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again...As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again!" And she never was.

So these are a few of my favorite people. I raise my glass to you, ladies.