Mother Figure

This Mother's Day, I'm working with Clever Girls in support of Macy's Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the "trade, not aid" program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake.


What is Macy’s Heart of Haiti? Heart of Haiti is a “Trade, Not Aid” initiative launched by artist and social entrepreneur, Willa Shalit, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Macy’s. Already, Heart of Haiti has led to employment of 750 artists in Haiti, providing financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 people in the country.
Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and paintings and is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood.  
Heart of Haiti products are available online at Macy’s.com.


 

With Grandma on my wedding day

I've been blessed with many positive role models in my life. Raised by a single mom, I am lucky that she sought the support of her own mother and sisters in raising me. These four strong women helped to shape me into the mother I am today, and I am incredibly thankful for each of them. My Grandma passed away six years ago; I miss her still and I'm saddened that she never got to meet my two littlest pumpkins. But my mom and my aunts all live within a few miles of us, and  I'm happy to say that my kids have had the chance to know them and love them as I do.

When Chris and I got married, I gained another amazing mother figure in my life. My mother-in-law welcomed me and embraced me from day one. Along with my mom, I count on her insight and advice as I raise my children. She has treated me like a daughter from the very beginning, and I am so fortunate to have yet another person in my life who has such a strong interest in my family and who loves my kids fiercely.

With my mom & mother-in-law last Mother's Day

Becoming a mother was one of the scariest and most exhilarating events of my life, and after almost 11 years it continues to be so. I don't know what I would do without my mom and the other women in my  life who have served as mother figures to me and who I now look to as additional mother figures for my babies. To the benefit of my kids, my support system has grown to include several good friends who are mothers and who I look up to, not only for advice, but also for perspective and growth opportunities. My friends are an incredible, diverse bunch. Having them in my life helps me to be open minded and encourages me to be dynamic rather than stagnant in my parenting. They are my sounding board, my litmus, and my inspiration. There's that saying that it takes a village to raise a child, and I have to agree that it certainly does help.

Thank you to Macy's Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart" promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.