Many Hats

Submitted by Melissa Luttrell - "My goal has always been to provide healthy, supportive parenting while attempting 

"My goal has always been to provide healthy, supportive parenting while attempting to maintain my own sanity!"

​Setting an example for my daughter, who is now in college, has always been important to me. I've tried to show her what it means to be a strong, capable woman, and I've done this in a variety of ways through the years. When she was young, I wanted her to see me in leadership roles and working for social justice, so I took her to meetings and events with me. She was often able to get involved and contribute herself at some level. She was homeschooled through the fifth grade, so she saw me working with other parents to plan and coordinate curriculums and activities. When she transitioned to a public school, she watched me go to work as I took on an executive director position at a local non-profit agency. She later became a volunteer herself there.

We all try to do our best to create and maintain a home and family environment that will nurture our children. That looks different for each of us. My goal has always been to provide healthy, supportive parenting while attempting to maintain my own sanity!  

I’m happy to report that my daughter is now a strong young woman who is eager to provide a valuable contribution to the world. She's already wearing many different hats of her own as she studies at one of the top universities in the US. ​

Gloria Steinem, my daughter, and me in 1999

Melissa Luttrell is a mother, wife, community activitist, and volunteer. She earned a master's degree in natural resources economics from Michigan State University

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