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CONGRATULATIONS to FRAN MAIERS from Davison, MI. Ms. Michigan Senior America 2008! Also, Thank You to Nicole Messina, State Director, for a beautiful Michigan pageant.
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We all have life stories, woven throughout with blessings and heartaches. As our life's story changes, we write new chapters reflecting our joys and sorrows as we "do" life.
The youngest of seven children, I was born and raised in the Thumb Area of Michigan. For many years, my mother worked as a schoolteacher in one-room schoolhouses. My father was a factory worker.
My life has been very full for as long as I can remember. My career outside the home began the day I graduated high school and except for the brief intervals associated with giving birth to five children, my career continues today as I manage two small companies from my home office and serve the community and church in our hometown.
Today, our combined family portrait includes seven children and their spouses, twenty grandchildren, a great grandbaby and our Mother who will soon celebrate her 95th birthday. Including our daughter who watches over us from Heaven, we proudly claim thirty-nine family members. We are so blessed!
Aside from the unparalleled joy of my family, I had the opportunity to serve in several senior management positions for organizations, which ultimately changed the face of healthcare in Michigan and across the U.S.;
Administrator (and first employee) for an independent family practice clinic- at Wayne State University created to serve as a training model for the Residents for the first medical school sponsored Family Practice Residency Program at WSU.
Vice President of Operations (and first employee) for what would become the Nations first and largest Prescription Benefit Management Company, taking it from a concept to a company posied for public offering.
These two "firsts" stand tall among my career achievements, however; they pale in comparison to some of my achievements since leaving the corporate world, the most significant and meaningful being, "The Muttsy Mission for Alzheimer's."
After fighting (and tragically losing) my mother's battle with Alzheimer's in 1995, I was inspired to launch what is known today as "The Muttsy Mission for Alzheimer's." I will never forget watching a wheelchair-bound woman with Alzheimer's hold a stuffed dog on her lap, petting its fur until flat and worn. That image became my inspiration for creating this incredibly rewarding organization that has now brought comfort to over 2,000 victims of this dreaded disease. Having the opportunity to personally place large, beautifully, stuffed dogs named Muttsy (made by Gund) in the arms and on the laps of those with Alzheimer's (along with a warm hug and an "I Love You") has been unforgettable and life-changing for me. I wouldn't trade the most important position in my entire career for the smiles on faces that hadn't smiled and sparkle in eyes that hadn't sparkled for a very long time.
The reality is, our chapters are not all filled with great successes and happiness. Such is the chapter that would become the saddest one in my book. It would be written on tear stained pages as I recalled the moment of indescribable horror when we learned our daughter's life had been cut short in an auto accident. The chapter is short - and remains unfinished- as words elude me to describe the deep pain that continues to wander in and out of the back roads of my mind unannounced. Born out of my search for answers and desperate desire for some peace is the memorial tribute I wrote and recorded for her and now pass on to others. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to play some small part in their healing as my own healing continues.
And now I will write one of my most exciting, fun-filled chapters about my life as Ms. Senior Michigan and my pursuit of the Ms. Senior America title, I can't wait!
Like all of us, I have climbed some great mountains and walked through some deep valleys and even though I have no idea what the remaining chapters in my Life's Book will look like as the story unfolds, I'm okay with that. They are held in hands much more powerful and trustworthy than my own.
The 2008 Ms Senior America National Pageant
will take place at Harrah's Resorts & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.
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The Ms. Senior America Pageant is
the world's first and foremost pageant to emphasize and give honor to
women who have reached the "Age of Elegance." It is a search
for the gracious lady who best exemplifies the dignity, maturity and
inner beauty of all senior Americans. The Ms. Senior America philosophy is
based upon the belief that seniors are the foundation of America, and our
most valuable treasure. It is upon their knowledge, experience and
resources that the younger generation has the opportunity to build a
better society.
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