a cause for celebration

Kate Shields is one of the original green crusaders. Thirty-five years ago my mother-in-law was making her own yogurt, flaxseed muffins, and non-toxic cleansers. She grows her own herbs and vegetables and concocts her own shampoo (cue: family members rolling eyes).

In the late 1970s, she would pack up her canvases and her family each weekend and head into Greenwich Village to sell her paintings.

She retired as a school teacher some years ago but has never really stopped teaching (and learning). On sunny days, she still walks a mile to go grocery shopping (virtually unheard of in her car-friendly NY suburb).

She is spiritual in the purest sense; taking time to reflect and meditate daily. And although she's a true Catholic, I still think she may have been a Buddhist monk in a former life.

Despite the health of her body and mind, she was still struck with one of the most common cancer diagnoses of our lifetime. Luckily she is also one of the growing numbers of men and women who have been able to conquer it.

Kate Shields: our very own Mother Earth (and breast cancer survivor extraordinaire)