The most influential people in my life have been women - my mother - Uttamjit, of course, who taught me so much and still continues to; of what it means to be brave, kind, a friend, a maverick, a father and a son, of grace under pressure and tenacity under stress. Mostly she taught me about love; about what it is and what it takes and the rewards that await those who walk the walk. My college professor (a geologist) who was probably one of the first female geologists in a field dominated by males in India in the 1980's - who taught me that there is nothing more pure than a relentless pursuit of knowledge and of excellence - that once that is kept in focus - all other things just have a way of 'falling into place'! I remember her telling me one day that there were no real limits, just imagined ones and I have kept that quote close to my heart. My SCUBA-diving instructor in Brussels at the time I was learning Deep-sea diving for my research on the muddy bottoms of the tumultuous North Sea and the English Channel - all of 5 feet tall, she was(is) a woman of steel with nerves to match - she had helped me reach a state of physical and mental control which after a year of practice in the pool every friday night, had allowed me to pass the stringent European Exam for Open-water diving and had involved tests including holding a breath for 3 minutes, swimming ridiculous distances (precisely what had saved my life at times!) and held back no punches because she believed in me. My Ph.D. Advisor at NC State University - who helped me 'grow' intellectually, both carefully and demandingly and always led by example - to teach things she wanted her students to learn -- something I do now - to my own students as I pass the baton on. My Chairperson in the Dept. of Geology at Northeastern Illinois Univ. in Chicago - who taught me that it was OK to do big things, to not await somebody's permission, and that anything done with a lot of love becomes worthwhile. Yes indeed, I have had the blessing of some utterly remarkable women in my life ... they are the 'stronger' sex - and these photographs are my tribute to them ... just like my favorite bookstore that still exists on the corner of Clark and Foster in Chicago - "Women and Children First"!.