I’m Dorothy’s daughter, Geri.

I am very proud of my mother and I hope I can live up to the legacy she left to me.  She was a very brave woman who fought for what she believed in.

She never let artificial barriers get in the way of what she wanted to do, she never hesitated to go after what she believed was right.

All of  5’1”, raised in an orphanage and with a high school education, Dorothy Spieler drew on her values and beliefs  in order to make the world a better place both for her family and others. Many people will never know that she was the person whose efforts were behind their newfound good fortune.

My mother and my father had a 47 year plus love affair. My mother was never a battered woman. Yet one of the many places Mom volunteered, Human Options, was a battered women’s shelter.

 Mom believed in the cause and she worked hard for those women. She helped them for ten years. When she first started to volunteer for Human Options, I commented on her “Women’s Rights” inclinations.

She quickly corrected me. She said that battered women was not a “Women’s issue,” but rather a “human issue” that includes everyone involved.

My mother could be strong willed, even stubborn at times. However, it requires just that kind of strength to take on the “establishment” in order to make a difference. It takes conviction to confront conventional wisdom in order to right a wrong.  

It takes guts and belief to get out there to fight the good fight, even if you make a few enemies battling for what you believe. Mom was very clear when she said to me: “Geri, the person who never made a mistake never did anything. So get out there.  You’ll make some mistakes, but so what.  Do something with your life. Make a difference, she said to me.”

Dorothy Spieler Goldsmith left a wonderful legacy for her family, a model of giving back and making the world a better place.   I will do my best to continue to  make her proud of me.