Heart of Haiti Mother's Day Post Series: A Woman Who Helped You

I bet you've heard that saying (typically attributed to an African Proverb), "It takes a village to raise a child". Well my "village" growing up was a strong group of independent women, led by my mother. She is the second born in a family of seven siblings ... five of which are women. My mother had a close relationship with all of her sisters while I was growing up, and as a only child my aunts were subsequently an important part of my life; each of them playing an important role in shaping my development from a young girl into a strong and confident woman. I will be forever grateful to these five women for their part in my life, and the help and support they gave me while I was growing up and I am reminded each Mother's Day of their significant contributions to my life as a woman and want to take this moment to thank them and honor them as part of my "village".

Having said that, I am also inclined to write this... aside from all the wonderful and valuable life lessons that my mother and aunts taught me growing up, there was one lesson that become valuable only after I had my own children (all three of which are girls) and that is that among sisters, as close and loving as they may be, drama is never in short supply. Watching the relationships between my aunts gave me, an only child to my mother, a bird's eye view of the "sister-relationship". As I write these words a quote by Linda Sunshine comes to mind, " If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child."  This statement, by Linda Sunshine, though intended to make us laugh (I assume) could not be more true and finer words never said in my opinion. So, if not for my experience with the relationship of my mother and her sisters, I would have surely spent the last 2 and a half decades filled with anxiety and perhaps just be dazed and confused on a daily basis about the dynamics of the sister-relationship between my own daughters. So although there may have been more important ways that my mother and aunts assisted me through the years, this one thing among them has helped me immeasurably with my own daughters... just knowing that while they may want to wring each other's necks sometimes...they do still really love each other dearly. ahhhh! :-)

So whether the important woman who helped you is your mother, your aunt, your sister or friend, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to honor them and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to write this post for the Heart of Haiti Mother’s Day series.

Through a partnership with Macy’s and their Shop For A Better World' initiative, Heart of Haiti offers artisan-crafted decorative arts and jewelry for sale. All income derived from sales of the products on the Heart of Haiti site enhances an artisan’s family’s nutrition, educates children, and brings access to health care and dignity.

To view the Shop for a Better World / Heart Of Haiti collection in it's entirety (including just added items for Spring and Mother's Day), visit this link. This is also the perfect time to purchase Mother's Day gifts and more from Heart of Haiti, and when you do, use this special discount code: CLEVERGIRLS to receive 15% off Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products. The discount code is valid May 3 through May 8.

*I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.