As I read through the articles submitted by our talented authors this month I was pleased to see how each of these women took the same tenet, “We are each unique and worthy of respect,” and filtered it through her life experience and perspective to share with the world a gift of light. This happens every month, so I should not be surprised, but somehow with the focus being what it was, it really struck me. I hope it strikes you as well as you read through the articles for February. I hope that you are buoyed up as I was and inspired to give of yourself, your time, and maybe even your money in meaningful ways. Shelli shared about her experience as she teaches writing and encourages us to continue to work toward harmony in our differences. We have a report from Carolina about an opportunity she and Kim had to work with some youth at a middle school in Emmett, Idaho, to help them recognize their inherent value and help end bullying. I had the privilege of getting to know the fabulous Kalisa Jenson a little better as I worked to introduce her to you. Michelle used her talent for infusing sunshine into life to walk us through a visualization exercise then challenge us to spend the next month looking for times and ways to be more respectful to those with whom we interact. Norma shared an update about Oasis Housing and the amazing good that love and determination can do. Kaloni has shared a thoughtful piece about why women are often compared to valuable and priceless jewels. Pat has created a video introducing Betty Abah – watch for information in the future about an upcoming penny drive! Kathy shared some vulnerable feelings about regrets from her school days and how she hopes we can all learn the lesson to treat others with the respect they deserve. Together, these articles have made me consider my own struggles and triumphs with the truth of this tenet. There have been experiences in my life that I have made me doubt my own self worth. There have been times when I was guilty of not recognizing the value of someone else and treating them with the respect they inherently deserve. It is our hope that we can all work to do better at respecting ourselves and others and be inspired in that determination through these articles and the discussions that will happen in cottages throughout the world this month.
