Director, Founder and President
I’ve spent a good bit of my life guided by the phrase, “Of whom much is given, much is expected.”
While no one’s life is without challenges, I feel uber-blessed. As I enter “early old age,” I find myself reflecting upon those blessings and understanding them in a new light. I think the concept is called “reframing.”
In a way, I think that’s what I try to do in my work with The Equipoise Fund…reframe. Einstein shared that “a problem can never be solved in the same manner in which it was created.” If that’s so, and we want to create meaningful change in the lives of the women and girls of Wyoming, then we must “reframe.” I like our mission “to energize, enrich, and encourage,” as it reframes the women and girls of wyoming as agents of change…true assets in the landscape (political, economic, cultural, natural) of this state. If there are problems in this state, I believe the “vision, voice, and visibility” of the women and girls of Wyoming will provide solutions.
The Equipoise Fund continues to bless my life. I’m grateful to my partners, Jean Martin Kirk and Lee Duncan, for traveling this path with me. And I’m ever grateful to this “sweet Wyoming home.”
Image Info: “Law of Intention” created for the Two Worlds Wisdom School by Belinda Paton
Secretary
As I reflect on life, I find what matters most to me is being with the people whom I really care about. This includes, of course, my husband, Joe, and grandchildren, but also the friends who have walked my path with me, just as I have walked right beside them.
As in everyone’s life, there are periods of great joy, mundane stretches of time, and those times when life stretches the limits of what we think we can bear. My faith is a crucial part of my life. It has helped get me back on my feet, and make so many decisions in life. For that, I am most grateful.
My girlfriends, too, have played a large roll in my life: Mickey Babcock and Jean Kirk, along with a few others, have always been available to listen, give me a gentle push on my back, and make me laugh until I almost wet my pants! (I’m sure that will happen in the not too distant future, but I will treasure the joy that caused it.)
I love and support our wonderful Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, and am proud of the National Leadership Council that was recently established. But, it is with gratitude and well worn relationships, that I find the most meaning in my life these days. I hope you will give one of your girlfriends a hug, or a call, and tell them what they mean to you, because you will always have each other’s back!
Chief Guru
Seasons play a large role in my life on the family farm. Spring is for planting. Summer is for growing. Fall is for harvesting. Winter is for exhaling and preparing for another crop growth cycle. I have added and happily embraced a fifth season as it pertains to my stage of life. It is called my “Older Adult Season.”
The piece of equipment pictured is a modern day cultivator. This implement improves and prepares the soil, giving new seed a fertile format, which hopefully, encourages quality growth. What an appropriate metaphor to us at Equipoise as we whole heartedly encourage women in Wyoming to seek their life changing visions and aspirations.
Friends, neighbors, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, all come and go in a constant whirlwind of my daily life. Devices rule. Social media is a powerful means, but the persistence of my “Older Adult Season” overrides. The force is with me as batteries power down, allowing old fashioned moments of eye to eye contact and meaningful conversation.
Whether encouraging, advising, asking questions or sharing past experiences, I am hopeful that my words will serve as a catalyst of positive change and a cultivator of personal growth to all in my faith based walk…no longer a run…but a diligent walk that always leads in a forward direction.