What does grace mean to you? The Bethesda Hospital Foundation’s Women of Grace luncheon, taking place November 10 at The Mar-A-Lago Club, examines this question by honoring five local women for their outstanding contributions to the community. The honorees, who represent grace in all its forms, reflect on the meaning of that ephemeral quality.
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| The Women of Grace: Betti Lidsky, Diane Wilde, Valerie Mathieu, Nancy Dockerty, Michelle Suskauer |
Betti Lidsky, founder and chairwoman of Hope for Vision
What grace means to her: “Grace is a conscious behavior that encompasses mindful awareness of all my blessings and the expression of gratitude to people who share their lives in a meaningful way.”
Someone who personifies grace to her: “Adrienne Arsht. She is the epitome of grace because she is not only genuinely interested in the people she is helping, but she also becomes involved in maximizing a great outcome for the projects she supports.”
Diane Wilde, founder and CEO of Dress for Success Palm Beaches
What grace means to her: “Grace is having an ease about yourself that allows others around you to feel comfortable.”
Someone who personifies grace to her: “My mother has been gone a long time, but the strength and grace with which she lived after my baby brother died has never left my heart. I don’t think it’s possible to ever recover from the loss of a child, yet the choice of withdrawing from life was simply not an option for her.”
Valerie Mathieu, founder and president of Caps of Love
What grace means to her: “Grace represents one who demonstrates compassion without judgement or bias and seeks to better the lives of others despite challenges or opposition. It is an inner peace of knowing your mission or purpose is of greater value than the tasks it involves.”
Someone who personifies grace to her: “I have always admired the strength of my mother as an excellent example of grace. As the proud mother of nine children, she exemplified an endless desire to develop each of our unique strengths and abilities through compassion, discipline, uplifting praise, positive reinforcement, and love so that we could reach our maximum potentials.”
Nancy Dockerty, president of the Delray Beach Public Library board of directors
What grace means to her: “Grace means being kindhearted, giving, and having an awareness of those around you and how to treat people.”
Someone who personifies grace to her: “My eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Revere. She was not only beautiful and well spoken, but she was so kind in the way she treated everybody and her mannerisms were just so kind, too. I always remember thinking, ‘I want to be like Mrs. Revere when I grow up.’”
Michelle Suskauer, managing partner of the Suskauer Law Firm and vice-president of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County board of directors
What grace means to her: “Grace is about rising above and the way in which you conduct yourself and deal with others.”
What grace means to her: “Florida Supreme Court Justice Justice Barbara Pariente is one of my mentors, one of my role models. She is brilliant, beautiful, inordinately capable. She is a breast cancer survivor. She is an incredible supporter of women in the profession and of access to justice for all. She conducts herself with the utmost class and respect.”
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