This post is part of YummyMummyClub.ca’s support of the Dove® Celebrate Mom Contest. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
You can nominate inspiring moms here: www.CelebrateMom.ca
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“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” ~ Gandhi
My village is made of beautiful and vibrant women, who lend their wisdom, insight, and unwavering support. I depend on them to open my eyes, my mind, my heart; to help me grow into the person and parent I see in my future; to push me closer to being the role model I want my children to have.
To choose just one of these women to celebrate is hard. Lucky me.
Betsy and I first connected in a prenatal class over a discussion of cloth diapers. It was refreshing to find someone else keen to try them. We talked about different brands, but never the pros and cons. There were no cons for Betsy; it was simply the right choice.
Years later, where I've allowed the day-to-day pressures of motherhood to weaken that shared vision for a healthier world, Betsy remains committed.
She's made it her mission to honour the environment; to give it the respect it deserves. And she doesn't just pull it off on a "good day", she lives this way every day.
When my 10-year-old daughter recently asked why we were sitting in a drive-thru on a sunny day, the excuse that it was faster than unbuckling four kids to go inside fell flat. And I thought of Betsy as I sat down with them later to discuss how I could do better.
She is the mom you pass on a rainy drive to school. She and her kids wearing rubber boots and backpacks. The smell of wet cement in their noses, the sound of feet stomping in puddles singing in their ears. An appreciation for the Earth on display like a heart on a sleeve.
While other families choose their homes based on curb appeal, Betsy's family looks for connection to the community: schools, markets, libraries, recreation. All of them reached by foot or bike. Secondhand clothing and toys are given with the lesson that history holds more value than shiny packaging ever could. Litter is their concern even when it's left by others. Thoughtful use of energy is second nature.
When she made the decision to leave an engineering career to focus on family and her passion for the environment, Betsy worried her children would lose some of their respect for her as an intelligent and independent woman.
She has nothing to fear.
Betsy is guiding her children on a path that's harder to walk; the one from which so many of us stray when convenience calls. She pushes them forward with promises of a view that's worth the climb.
She shows everyone around her how much strength one voice can have. She does not waste time wondering if her choices will make enough of an impact; she knows they will.
She thinks globally and acts locally by giving her time and expertise to community initiatives. She is an activist and an advocate. She is a change maker. She teaches her children the importance of humanity.
I am nominating my innovative and inspiring friend because I believe in a brighter future.
Betsy isn't waiting and hoping, for the sake of her children, that the world will become a better place. She is already doing the work, for the sake of her children.
And for yours and mine.
"Live life within limits, without limiting life." ~ Betsy Agar
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Visit www.CelebrateMom.ca by September 4th to nominate a mom who’s an inspiring role model to women and girls in the Dove® Celebrate Mom Contest. Four inspiring women will win $2,500 for herself and $2,500 to be donated to the charity of her choice.
And check out more stories on YummyMummyClub.ca about amazing role model moms: www.yummymummyclub.ca/family/mummy/celebrate-a-mom-in-your-life
