Rosalyn Carter and Castro Valley
It was four months ago that former First Lady Rosalyn Carter passed. I doubt if she ever heard about Castro Valley, yet she advocated for matters of concern for us and wrote about them as well. That is because her concerns were our concerns. That is the connection between her and us. Two of her most noted concerns impact millions of people in our nation either directly or indirectly. They are the subjects of caregiving and mental health. These are common problems among us, and reside with ubiquity in our town, state, and nation.
Her awareness of the importance of caregiving and of caregivers began in her childhood. Her dad developed leukemia and died when Carter was thirteen. Her mother and family gave care to her father at home until he passed. Given this experience, she developed a sense of purpose that traveled with her for the rest of her life. A similar thing happened to my mother, which made caregiving a centerpiece of her life as well. Unknown to me, she started training me as a boy to understand this “fact of life” and to step up to the responsibility when needed. With that, I followed in my mother’s footsteps. Rosalyn Carter did the same, except she ended up on the national stage as a lead educator and advocate. She also wrote a book about caregiving (“Helping Yourself Help Others”) and established a national center to help the people who do the “heavy lifting” in this crucial role in life. The title of her center is the “Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers (the boldness in the last two word was at Carter’s insistence).” At the preset time, the Institute estimates that 53 million Americans of all ages are serving as caregivers for family and friends. Included in this figure are individuals here in Castro Valley. They work hard and silently. The foundation of their dedication are beliefs in appreciation, gratitude, loyalty, and love. For those who read this article, Rosalyn Carter knew you well. Others, like me, have walked in your shoes. Be well and do well.
Rosalyn Carter’s other cause was that of mental illness. With a co-author, she wrote two books on this subject. She also served as a national educator and advocate. Having once served as the senior Federal official in the western states for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, I learned first-hand how deep and difficult this issue is. A former CEO of the California Hospital Association told me it was the number one health and medical issue for the state of California. One of my best friends is now deep in the quagmire of depression and has been unable to escape from its wrath (despite good access to mental health resources). Rosalyn Carter’s dedication to public education about this issue and the desperate need for amelioration rang true years ago, and the bell is still ringing for millions of Californians and tens of millions of Americans.
Having placed these thoughts in perspective, I reflect upon the dedication that Rosalyn Carter gave to people like us here in Castro Valley, as well as nationally. She was more than the First Lady of our nation. She was a “First Lady” to millions of people in need. May her dedication and empathy continue to drive our spirits and hopes as we deal with the responsibilities that we all entertain with our lives.