The Organizer

It has been said that you can be judged by the company you keep so it seems only fair for you to know a little bit about me. I am the mom that sits next to you at the school picnic, in church, at the park, and at the restaurant.

Some of my children are in public school, some are home schooled, some go to private school, some are now adults, and many are too young for school. I have a college degree from a university and it is in business. And literature. And math. And science. And art. I have a high school degree and did not need the extra years in school to find my passion.

I am a CPA and consult with/for the finance departments of Fortune 500 companies. I am a social worker. I own a small business. I stay home with my children and am blessed with that opportunity. I am working with others in the community to create a breakthrough model locally to support families. I freelance and work as a doula, working to understand the desires of a woman and advocating for her in her miraculous moment. I train doulas. I am a photographer and kindness worker. I work in public relations. I have served on the Board of Directors for more than one Nonprofit. I am an artist. I train dogs and advocate for causes I believe in.

I live in my dream home. I rent. I am on a healing diet with my children. I am vegan. I can barely find the time to cook and my kids often eat McDonalds. I grow as much of our food as I can and have chickens in my back yard. Did I mention I do not enjoy cooking? But I do.

I just went to my first protest and observed what seemed to me to be complete disregard for the First Amendment. I believe the officers present followed orders but I wonder how the right decisions can be made when they are seem to be made remotely. I once pied a man in the face, paid the price, and I might do it again sometime. I have been wrongfully arrested for trying to peacefully protest my opinion for women's rights and the charges were dropped because of entrapment by law enforcement. I have yet to ever attend a protest.

Above all, the most important role I play any day of the week is that I am a MOTHER. You do not want to mess with me. I ensure all the kids, not just my own, on the playground play nicely and right now I am not happy with what I see with the culture of American politics.

I cannot tell if we are operating from a place of intense fear or greed, but neither of those is a good emotional foundation for solid policy. The two party system is set up as though there is a black and white divide on range of social issues rather than the many shades of grey I see every day. I wish there were more choices on the menu.

I do not agree with all my friends on their viewpoints. But I deeply respect them and we can come together, discuss topics with intensity and passion, and still love each other. We can disagree without attacking each other. The women I know deeply influence my thinking and when I need to figure something out I turn to them first.

I have a growing sense of concern over every social issue in this country and I'm not feeling so hot about fiscal issues either. It is time we all WAKE UP and start talking. Mothers talk. We talk really well. Ask our husbands and lovers - we just talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. But when we talk we come to a better understanding of any issue and each other. I find myself in a place of shifting consciousness and I no longer waste my time on talking heads on TV and instead I follow other influential mothers and what they have to say using social media.

When I need to get the word out, it will be online. I will plan picnic-ins, stage educational screenings, and come up with other fun ideas to awaken the social consciousness of every other mother around me. I have been talking on the playgrounds in hushed tones about the state of our country and wondering what the next five to ten years could possibly look like if we stay on this trajectory. It is time to stop whispering and start shouting. Please join me.