STakeholderS' - Doczine

herlife | welcomeGratitudephoto by kermit hayesfor kermit hayes photographyIt’s customary to have a November theme wrapped around gratitude, reflective on thingsfor which we are thankful. When I think about the practice of being thankful, I thinkabout giving back and helping others—a true way to show the universe that you aregrateful for the blessings in your life.Our cover feature this month, Kate Hedgeman, epitomizes this notion. In additionto being an accomplished attorney, Kate started the group The Stakeholders, Inc., whichfocuses on positively affecting the communities we live in through volunteerism and philanthropy.Her work has been recognized by New York State and featured in O, The OprahMagazine. I am especially grateful to Kate because she agreed to sit for our cover just havinggiven birth to a beautiful baby one month before our photo shoot. She may have been sleepdeprived,but her smile was abundant and she was a true pleasure to work with.In the spirit of gratitude, we also spotlight the wonderful community work of theWomen Employment Resource Center (WERC). HERLIFE Magazine had the pleasure ofbeing a media co-sponsor at their recent awards luncheon. I was truly impressed by the workthis organization does to help transition women back into the workplace, the moving storiesfrom the women who have gone through the program, and the women who were honoredto have been recognized by WERC and received awards for their accomplishments andcommitments to helping women in the workplace.In this issue I also want to direct you to our Trendsetter section this month and thewinners of our Model for a Day auction item. This past year, we selected two events toauction this opportunity for charity. Our winners are Alexa Chrisman, whose auction pledgebenefited Domestic Violence Services of Saratoga County, and Siobhan A’hearn, whoseauction pledge benefited Saratoga’s Senior Center. I extend my sincere appreciation toSandra Dollard and the team at Evoke Style for supplying the fashion items for the shoot.Next year, we will select four charities to auction off HERLIFE Model for a Day. If you areinterested in having your charity be considered, please contact us at events@herlifenewyork.com.Part of the practice of being thankful is to express gratitude and acknowledge your blessings big and small every day. That’s sometimes a tallorder when life distracts us and gets in the way. I try to remember to say out loud a little ‘thank you’ list every day. So, today I share my list with you.I am thankful for (in no particular order): my family, a roof over my head, my pets who love me unconditionally, my belief in a higher power,the diversity of people, the colors of the leaves in autumn, the smell of babies just after a bath, difficult people who further refine who I am, a carso I can get to work, the fact that I live in a democracy, the soldiers who sacrifice so that I can rest my head on the pillow at night, comedy becauselaughter is the best medicine, great food, great wine, the ability of the human spirit to overcome obstacles and help one another, good manners, thesupport of my friends, my health, my body and the fact that my heart beats 100,000 times a day and my lungs breathe 36,000 times a day without myhelp. And lastly for today, I am truly thankful that in this wonderful, sometimes crazy world, even on my worst day, I can still be amazed and findsomething for which I am thankful.With deepest appreciation,readsharerecycleJoin HERLIFE New Yor k Magazine on Facebook and stay current on the hottest events and biggest deals around the region!6 HERLIFEnewyork.com