When I was very young, I rode a green bicycle. It was a 3-speed bike with brakes on the handlebars and tires that were quite worn and had been blown up over and over by my Dad. I rode the bike in my neighborhood, while pretending to drive a bus. The neighborhood seemed huge at the time. It had one great hill for sledding or riding my bicycle down with no hands and a big cul de sac near my favorite babysitter’s house (Susan Dunn) that was perfect for turning my bicycle bus around. As I rode, I would stop at the end of each driveway in the neighborhood, always making the physical gesture of opening the bus door to invite my passengers aboard and then waiting patiently for them to join me. Sometimes I was lucky enough that the residents weren’t home and the entire driveway was empty. In that case, the long driveway became a cul de sac with multiple stops to load my riders. On any given day, the destinations of the bus were different. But make no mistake, we were all going on a fantastic adventure. The destination really didn’t matter because I think I knew even then that, wherever we were headed, we were happier, healthier, stronger and simply better if we were moving forward together.
Fast forward thirty years (or so) to the beginning of The Little Red Jumpsuit Foundation for Women and The Little Red Jumpsuit Tour – the green bicycle bus now replaced by a sea of red – the color of love, luck, energy, passion, joy and heart. My passion for helping others, especially women, is something that has been a part of me my entire life. From my Mom, to my Grandmothers and Aunt, to my favorite babysitter, to my first school bus driver, to neighbors, teachers and professors, to my Kappa Delta Sisters, to my female friends and co-workers, I have always had a deep love, affection and admiration for other women. I’m constantly marveling at what the women I’ve known have accomplished with such intelligence and grace. As women, we are all so different, and yet our joys, concerns and hearts are so similar in so many ways.
When I started The Little Red Jumpsuit Foundation and Tour, I was on a journey – a transformation of sorts – to better health, to greater joy and to find a part of myself that had been lost somewhere along the way as I gave so much of myself to those I love. In truth, I was lost in my own life. I thought there might be a few women who would be interested in going on this journey with me or even starting their own.
To date, The Little Red Jumpsuit Tour and Foundation have awarded over $25,000 in scholarships to women of all ages who wish to continue their educational journey as they continue writing the story of their lives. Our speaking engagements have reached over 10,000 women, some of whom have let me know that they have made changes that will likely help them on the road to a healthier, happier, longer and more fulfilling life. That brings me tremendous joy! For me, that bicycle bus headed for a fantastic adventure is still rolling. Thank you to those who believed in me and were willing to hop on and thank you to all those who are yet to come.
In short, the purpose of The Little Red Jumpsuit Tour and the mission of my organization is to celebrate, encourage, and lift-up women on their individual journeys to wellness. The Tour provides opportunities for open and honest discussion regarding the challenges and joys we all face as women as we move forward in our lives. Good health and wellness are not about making large sweeping changes that are unsustainable. Instead, we should focus on making small changes in our daily routines that result in a big difference in our overall health and happiness. As women, we need to refocus our lives to make sure we are part of the equation. There is so much more to living a healthy life than what we see on the outside, as true wellness and happiness are reflections of our inner self. Education matters and as long as we live, we should be learning. My goal is to help women move forward to a healthier and happier future and then give them a way to do it. If you or a woman you love are interested in moving forward with us, visit CRLegalTeam.com today.
