Dear Mom,

I have memories of your creating such a rich and high-quality upbringing for us kids – life full of music, art, creativity, nature, other cultures, foreign exchange students, reading, learning all sorts of subjects, cooking, sewing, gardening, camping, swimming, canoeing, pets, Green and Moyer relatives, friends, movies, concerts, plays, and vacations. And you’ve been such a great example to us all of generosity, creative thinking, contribution, and including and understanding others. You often seem to be one step ahead of the herd in progressive ideas about peace and health/environmental protection (for example, removing radium from watches, keeping us kids inside when the DDT-spraying trucks rolled through the neighborhood, and reducing our exposure to junk food and junk TV). You’ll do something very unusual and a year or two later, everyone will be doing it. You show us how to get beyond limited thinking, and to “think outside the box.” You tackle new technology or anything else that’s new with courage and a can-do attitude.

You’re incredibly organized and on the ball, keeping track of family news and constantly changing family contact info, organizing family get-togethers, and generally keeping everything in good order.

You’ve always had your own professional life as well as your life as wife and mother, and have been a whirlwind of activity in getting both jobs done, and in spades. You’ve given way more than most people – to your family, students, neighbors, friends, and people around the world.

Just to think of all the many things you’ve done is exhausting and makes me want to take a nap: raising 4 kids, teaching piano, teaching music to dyslexic kids, chamber music, singing, managing musicians’ gigs, peace and environmental advocacy, photography, work at the local cable TV station including hosting the show “Now That’s Art!”, working for the Paul Green Foundation, creating the Paul Green Plant Book, and a slew of things at Newbury Court such as creating the climate change group and cataloging all the books in the library. And that’s just a partial list…

I marvel at how hard you have always worked, and at how good a manager you are. A good example is the summers we lived in a tent at Tanglewood. You kept the family of 6 going and having a great time without electricity or running water, played a lot of music, and still found time at the end of the day to play guitar and sing folk songs to us as bedtime.

You’re naturally inclined to think the best of people, even those very different from you, and to ask “How can I help?”

I wouldn’t trade you for any other mother. You made me what I am, in so many ways. When someone tells me “You’re a chip off the old block,” I say “Thank you!” You’re the best, and I love you so much.

 Love,

Ellen

Happy Birthday, Betsy! I wish you a wonderful year filled with photography, music and many happy moments. Thank you for all you do for our SVNP photography club and for my sisters chorus with you! You make such a big difference and share such a beautiful and shining light on us all.    

– Barbara Peskin