I voted for Jimmy Carter when he ran for President of the United States. I liked what appeared to be his folksy ways and his political platform. I also thought that his wife Rosalyn was a beautiful and sweet woman. My feelings about President Carter and his wife were rather superficial in the time when I supported them. I was a young mother still in my twenties more concentrated on caring for my family than thinking about politics. I was literally just learning how to be an adult while carrying the hefty responsibility of helping my mother to keep her bipolar disorder at bay. 

Admittedly I paid far less attention to the political environment than I did to the duties in my own household. I knew that I liked President Carter’s policies and his visions for the future of our country. What I did not note at the time was his wife Rosalyn’s advocacy for mental illness. I only belatedly realized how dedicated she was to abolishing the stigma of mental illness and providing adequate services for those afflicted with diseases of the mind. She was far ahead of her time in a crusade to help those whose brains are afflicted with illnesses that alter the trajectory of their lives and often make them misunderstood and even shunned by society. I was too busy tilting mental illness windmills of my own to fully understand the remarkable work Mrs. Carter began and continued to advocate for much of her life. 

Rosalyn Carter was a typical southern woman in her quiet humility, but she was a warrior when it came to defending the downtrodden. Her faith in God and her love of people regardless of who they were was unrelenting. Her love story with Jimmy Carter was one for the ages. Mostly though her decency and compassion was the hallmark of her well lived life. She was not one to steal the limelight or boast about the remarkable things that she accomplished. Instead she focused on simply doing the right thing for humanity over and over again in quiet ways. 

My cousin Terri has been a fan of President and Mrs. Carter for many years. She believes that the two of them exemplify all that is truly good in our human natures. When she learned that she would be able to attend a Sunday Bible study program with President Carter she worked to secure a place for herself and her husband and son. When she received word of a secured reservation she began preparing for the big moment the way one might approach the prospect of meeting a rockstar. In her mind she was going to see the most important role model of her life. 

Terri kept us all apprised of her visit to Plains, Georgia. It did not disappoint her in the least. It was more magical for her than a celebrity tour of DisneyWorld would have been. At the end of the Sunday school program she lined up with the other guests for a photo with President and Mrs. Carter. She was instructed not to attempt to touch the former President and First Lady but only to stay for the picture and then move on. The actual experience turned out to be even more inspiring than she might have imagined. 

Mrs. Carter wanted to know all about Terri and her family. She was touched by the fact that Terri had been planning this trip for years and that Terri had traveled all the way from Austin, Texas to fulfill her dream. When the photo session was completed Mrs. Carter grabbed Terri’s hands and earnestly invited her to return again. As Mrs. Carter kept her tender grip on Terri she explained how important such visits were to her husband. She warmly thanked Terri for coming and expressed the genuine hope that she would see her again. 

Rosalyn Carter was the love of her husband’s life, but she was also the most important sidekick in all of his adventures. She did not just go along for the ride with him, she also contributed wisdom, grace and compassion for the people of the United States that she and her husband both loved. Her generosity and dedication to helping those who sometimes struggle to help themselves was as real as it gets. She saw all people as her equal, never thinking that anyone was less worthy of love and respect than herself. Together she and her husband showed us how to live long, productive and meaningful lives. 

I believe that history will judge Rosalyn Carter to be among the greatest First Ladies of our country’s history. She quietly but forcefully supported her husband in his difficult job. At the same time she advocated for people who are so often neglected and misunderstood. She was far ahead of her time in understanding the needs of her fellow Americans. She unpretentiously served the people of the United States and showed us how to change the trajectory of people’s lives. She spent the greater part of her life serving the least among us just as we have all been instructed to do. She took up hammers and saws to build futures for thousands upon thousands. She pushed for understanding and acceptance of the mentally ill. She made love an action verb. 

It is always heartbreaking when truly good people leave this earth. It is up to us to remember how they have shown us to live well and to follow their examples. Rosalyn Carter was indeed an angel among us. Her work is done and she is at rest. Now it is our turn to take up the tasks that she showed us how to do.