Women That WOW! (Ann)

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd write some posts about some amazing women that have touched my life.

I find myself drawn to those people who really embrace life. Take my friend Ann, for example. Every move she makes inspires and nurtures. She is a mom of three, a “green” columnist (unpaid) for a publication, recruits and trains volunteers for a business that markets fair trade items. And, seemingly, she can’t do enough for our church community. She works in the church office, assists with a new youth program that has bridged a gap between kids from different schools, helps to shepherd a Moms group, and—recently started a “Green Team” to educate our growing congregation and initiate some positive environmental change among us. In her “spare time”—she creates beautiful black and white photographic note cards that are artistic and (no surprise here) awe-inspiring. Before moving here, she spearheaded a project to gather stories of faith from the members of her former church community, which she then published.

All of this is impressive—but not what I like most about Ann. I’ve witnessed a couple of desperate situations in the lives of individuals where Ann has just stepped-in and stepped-up. No questions asked. She just does. She’ll send out an email asking for assistance and people line up to help. Not just for the individual in need—but for Ann. She sets the example that we all aspire to achieve. She walks the walk. Talking about it is not her style.

I was thinking about Ann when I left church on the Sunday during Earth Week. Her “Green Team” was handing out organic seeds from Seeds of Change. As I read the planting instructions on the back of my package of German Chamomile seeds, I thought about how Ann inspires growth in every life she touches. When it’s harvest time—I’m going to treat her to a cup of tea.