April Gaydos at parque
By Diana Hoogesteger
Mom woman, housewife woman, kitchen alchemist woman, health guardian woman, midwife woman, hug woman, caress woman, woman who cares for the garden, plants, animals; woman who takes care of upbringing.
I see woman as Mother Earth: an abundant being who cares for life, who seeks, who contains, embraces, feeds, amazes with her beauty and sweetness or with her unexpected fury, her waterfall of tears.
“Anything you give a woman will do better. If she gives her ova, she will give you a child. If you give her a house, she will give you a home. If you give her food, she will give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she will give you her heart. She magnifies and multiplies whatever you give her.»—William Golding (1911-1993).
Women move with the time of cycles, the phases of the moon, the changes of season, with nature. But above all we have the gift of caring for others. I want to honor and recognize the woman in all of her being, in her role at home and as an agent of change, in search of well-being for the common good.
How many wonderful women dedicate their time and energy to taking care of wellness in various areas? In San Miguel we have and have had great guardians, some teachers who inspire me and continue to be examples of kindness. I would like to introduce you to some.
Nadine Goodman, founder of CASA (Centro Para los Adolescentes de San Miguel Allende), a space that provides care and sexual education to youth, which helps single mothers and offers medical, psychological, and emotional care. For many years she attended midwifery school, where she trained several generations of midwives who offer service today.
Sylvia van Dijk, founder of FAI (Child Support Foundation), dedicated to caring for the rights of children and the right to a healthy environment. They work with environmental education and care for the environment, gender equality, health, nutrition, and provide complementary education for economically disadvantaged children. Also honoring Alexa Fullerton, counselor and sponsor, Cecilia Grande de Peña, counselor and collaborator since the group’s inception, Lulú Morales, current director of the foundation, and all the promoters who work in the field.
April Gaydos, current director of Audubon in San Miguel de Allende, an association dedicated to protecting bodies of water: lakes, dams, streams, and rivers, for the survival of migratory birds. This year they adopted the Landeta park, doing cleaning and pruning of trees to save them from pests. They work with children, linking them with peers from other countries through the knowledge of birds. They encourage appreciation of natural life through hikes, kayaking, bird watching, and other recreational activities.
Nory Contractor, current founder of Lokkal, an association that helps raise funds and provides economic support to various small NGOs so they can carry out their work.
Liz Mestes, Yolanda Millán, and Laura Ulloa, who work for Collaborative Education, dedicated to providing information for young people and adults to be active agents in society with issues of environmental urgency, the protection of toxic-free territory, the care of the water, and much more.
Rose Welch and Rosana Álvarez, founders and directors of Vía Orgánica. They support, promote, and continue to develop knowledge of organic and regenerative agriculture. They provide support for farm workers, the milpa, the care of native and natural seeds, nutrition, and health, and protect the right to health and a healthy environment, ancestral and modern knowledge of food, herbalism, and country life.
There are many more, the list is long, the contributions are many and I fall short in naming all the guardians of life.
In this dance in search of the balance of life, between the masculine and the feminine, we have to honor the quality of care, service, and wisdom of women, connected with the capacity to give life, with the earth, and with faith.
