5 Things to Take Away from Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis' Life
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis is a woman that I have admired for years, and even though she wasn’t perfect she is still admirable for the things and accomplishments she left behind. I once heard someone say that “A woman’s power is in her femininity.” And, it’s in Jacqueline Kennedy that we still can see, even years after she has passed, a woman that was feminine and powerful in what she was able to get done.
She left behind many things: a restored and modern White House that many enjoy today when they visit it; New York’s Grand Central Station, which she fought to keep untouched when there were those who wanted to tear it down; her iconic vogue fashion that still inspires people today, and the sense that some people feel connected to her long after she has passed.
Having read numerous biographies on Jacqueline Kennedy these are some things from her life that I have taken away:
"I am a woman above everything else."
1). A bit of a mystery:
Jacqueline Kennedy spoke softly and she didn’t reveal too much about herself. A photographer and journalist before meeting John F. Kennedy, she knew how to handle herself with people. She carried herself with grace and poise, showing respect for all kinds of people. She knew how to be selective and guarded from the wrong types of people, but yet still open for her public role.
2). Never be without pearls:
Southern American women know about pearls. They don’t usually leave home without them. They represent style, classic elegance, and charm. And Jaqueline understood that pearls are a wonderful statement piece that can go with any outfit- from a ball gown to jeans.
“Pearls are always appropriate.”
3). Fight for what you believe in:
Just a few years ago, Grand Central Station in NYC celebrated 100 years. But that celebration may have not happened if it hadn’t been for Jacqueline. In 1975 she fought hard, spoke up and rallied against an office tower that was planned to replace the famous landmark.
Photo Courtesy of the Municipal Art Society of New York, who Jacqueline is posed with.
In 1960 when John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline moved into the White House, she was horrified at its condition, and that U.S. Presidents lived in a house that badly needed restoring. She got to work and restored it. She was given a budget of $50,000 which she used up in a matter of days, so she turned to the Fine Arts Committee to get money from private donors to cover the rest of the costs.
"Every boy who comes here should see things that develop his sense of history. For the girls, the house should look beautiful and lived-in. They should see what a fire in the fireplace and pretty flowers can do for a house; the White House rooms should give them a sense of all that. Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there. It would be sacrilege merely to "redecorate" it -- a word I hate. It must be restored -- and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship."
–Jacqueline Kennedy in a September 1, 1961 interview with Hugh Sidey, Life magazine
In the latter part of her life, from the mid-70s until the early 90s when she died, Jacqueline was a successful book editor for Doubleday, where she was a senior editor. Books like the translations of Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s “Cairo Trilogy” and Michael Jackson autobiography “Moonwalk” were top books that she worked to get published.
Jacqueline heading to Pre-Inaugural Gala, 1960, Washington, DC, Photo: The American Menu.
4). Handle life’s pressures with dignity and grace:
Jacqueline certainly had her fair share of disappointments in life, starting early in life when her parents divorced and challenges with her mother. Then she tragically lost her husband, President John F. Kennedy in 1963. She also faced challenges and scrutiny from her public marriage to shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, but I admire her for her ability to get on with life. I’m sure that in those moments life was painful and hard, but over and over we can see that she found the courage and strength to pick up and still make a difference in the world.
We can all learn from this, to pick up and move on with life after we have spent time feeling the pain of life’s disappointments.
5). Find your own voice:
In the midst of having challenges, a rocky relationship with her mother; a philandering husband whom she loved and wanted to be faithful to her, and then who was violently murdered; a brother in law who was also violently killed, and later a second marriage- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis seemed to be able to cope with the sad uncertainties of life. Sure, there are several telling sources out there who noted how she dealt with theses unfortunate tragedies. But, she moved on with life, finding solace and security in Europe to raise her children. She found her voice in causes that she believed in, and that kept her busy, and she also enjoyed her 9-5 job when she returned to the United States.
After we have mourned life's uncertainties, we too must push ourselves to move forward, find our voice, and get strength to keep going.
