Two Women Die Leaving Behind Two Very Different Legacies.

Two very prominent and influential women, have died – leaving behind lasting legacies of their life’s work. Nellie Gray, President and founder of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and Helen Gurley Brown, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine; both born within the same decade, have both passed away within days of each other.   

Let’s take a look at the legacies of each of these women, who though contemporaries with each other, fostered very different perspectives with their life’s work.

Nellie Gray, once described by Cardinal Sean O’Malley as the “Joan of Arc” of the pro-life movement, passed away over the weekend of August 11th & 12^th, at the age of 86.  After the infamous Roe v Wade decision was handed down in 1973, Nellie Gray said there was a “tugging at her heartstrings” to do something about the decision. This led her to retire from her law profession and devote herself entirely to the pro-life cause.  Nellie then founded the March for Life in 1974, where an estimated 20,000 people participated; inspiring similar events in cities across the U.S. and around the world.  Today, almost half a million marchers participate.

The “Cosmo girl”, Helen Gurley Brown, who advocated for glamour, fashion-focus and sexual freedom for women in her Cosmopolitan magazine, also died this past Monday, August 13^th, at the age of 90.  Brown is also the author of “Sex and the Single Girl” a million-selling book of her advice and opinions to women, the biggest piece of advice being, “not to save it for the wedding night”.  Others of Brown’s statements include, “Marriage is insurance for the worst years of your life - save the “best” for when you’re single. And forget about church - spiritual benefits, yes, prospects for bed, unlikely.”

Brown’s legacy of sexual license would seem to obviate itself with the growing numbers of failed marriages, broken families, teen pregnancies, abortions, a huge increase in sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDs, and an overall moral decline of our culture. By the time she stepped down as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan in 1997, the magazine ranked first in bookstores on college campuses; the very age group where the highest number of abortions occurs.  

Nellie Gray, on the other hand, served as a contradiction to the “Cosmo girls” in her lifelong determined fight for the most vulnerable members of the human community. Pro-lifers across the nation are mourning the loss of one of their greatest heroes and role models.  As the 2013 March for Life draws near, marking the 40^th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision, pro-lifers will once again march to save the lives of the unborn children Nellie dedicated her life to.  At the same time, they will also be marching in her memory, and in her honor.   

What a very different legacy, left by two women born in the same era, who died days apart from each other. Each one gave their lives to what they believed – each one spent their life’s energies for those beliefs – each one left a legacy for the world to remember. But I wonder, down the road in the future, which woman’s legacy will be the more remembered? Which woman’s legacy will have the greatest lasting effect on mankind?  

For I still believe, that though both evil-doers and the good alike, leave their legacies behind, it is the legacy of good people like Nellie Gray, who leave the greatest positive impact for future generations and the progress of mankind.  While Helen Gurley Brown’s legacy left behind a culture of death, with her promotion of sexual license and pleasure-seeking, with no accountability – In contrast, Nellie Gray left behind a legacy of advocating for Life – as one of the most eloquent defenders of the most vulnerable members of our society.

“That though the wicked spring up like grass, and all evil doers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.” Psalm 92:7.