I clearly remember enjoying 'When Harry Met Sally' and 'You've Got Mail,' all products of the recently deceased Nora Ephron's imagination. It was a time when the notion of love and romance were things I was just beginning to explore. The talented director and screenwriter had no shame in telling the world what women during those times dared not to share. As a young Latinas, I was inspired by some of her characters when it came to love. I was also captivated by some of those famous lines that resonated with me and that of many of my friends.
News of her passing made me think about the many lessons we can learn from our beloved talented and versatile woman—even if some of those don't know her by name. Nora Ephron taught us about life, love, and being a woman.
Here are 6 lessons EVERY Latina could learn from Nora Ephron:
1. Believe in the power of female friendship. Nora never proved that over and over in her films through her female characters and in her own life.
2. Dare to triumph. Her famous words invite you to fight for yourself, be your own hero, and not resign to defeat: "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."
3. It's never too late to learn and grow as a person. It was a belief she enjoyed plentifully as this quote affirms: "Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person."
4. You can always love and you can always love again. In her own words: "What failure of imagination had caused me to forget that life was full of other possibilities, including the possibility that eventually I would fall in love again?" And from Harry of When Harry Met Sally: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
5. Never stop having a sense of humor. "When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. But when you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh." "Have you ever felt like you're the worst version of yourself?" (From You've Got Mail)
6. Dare to express your feelings and emotions, your sexuality. Remember that famous restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally? "Oh. Ooooh! Ohhh, God! God! Oh, yes! Yes! YES! YES!" ¡Diosss! We learned so much from Sally, who was played by Meg Ryan, in one of best romantic comedies of all time.
Other words from Nora Ephron that inspired me or made me laugh in her book I Feel Bad About My Neck: "Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from" and "T"Maintenance is what you have to do just so you can walk out the door knowing that if you go to the market and bump into a guy who once rejected you, you won't have to hide behind a stack of canned food." ." Finally, "Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit they are crazy."
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