Our
Mom of the Month program honors one of our local Stroller Strides moms
for her efforts to live a healthy lifestyle while giving us a chance to
get to know her better at the same time. Without further ado, our
October Mom of the Month is Jenny Solomon (aka Natan's mom)! Jenny was
unanimously nominated by all of our Stroller Strides Instructors for
this honor and her efforts and results are further evidence of how
deserving she is!
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| The Solomon Family |
Despite
juggling a work-from-home/stay-at-home-mom schedule and getting 2 older
children off to school or camp each morning Jenny has been consistently
meeting her fitness and weight loss goals by making healthy dietary
choices and faithfully attending Stroller Strides classes, group 5K
training runs and even running on her own. She's signed up for the City
of Oaks 1/2 Marathon coming up later this fall and we have no doubt that
she'll take this race in stride as well!
Jenny is always brimming with
positivity and can often be overheard encouraging a fellow mom in their
motherhood and fitness journey. And on top of that, she has a beautiful
singing voice... a welcome accompaniment to our usual
loud-but-less-than-harmonious vocal efforts in class!
We've
asked Jenny a few questions to get to know her even better and this is
what she said...
Hometown:
Dallas, Texas
Education:
B.A. Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Rabbinic Ordination, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem/New York
Doctorate in Counseling, Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health, New York
Stroller Strides Member since:
April, 2012
Members of your Family:
Eric (husband), Meirav (9 1/2), Adi (7 1/2), Natan (7 mo.)
Current/previous Career:
Rabbi
What was your childhood ambition?
Rabbi, OB/GYN, or a News Anchor
What does motherhood mean to you?
Being a mom
is the greatest privilege of my life. The gift of bringing three
beautiful souls into this world and giving them roots and wings is my
deepest joy. I believe my role as their mother is to create the space
for them to grow into the best people they can be— to nurture their
strengths and help support them in facing their challenges. My job is
to give them unconditional love as well as sufficient boundaries so that
they can function successfully in the world and contribute their
unique gifts. I hope and pray they will leave the world better than
they found it and find ways to be of service as instruments of peace and
justice.
What is the furthest you have been from home?
I
have been fortunate to travel all over the world from Brazil to China
to Australia, but my most special experience abroad was living in
Jerusalem for three years.
What has Stroller Strides done for you?
We
waited a very long time for Natan to arrive and I consider it an
incredibly precious gift to be his primary caregiver. Being able to
exercise and care for Natan at the same time is a privilege I
never take for granted. I also love exercising outside— regardless of
the weather. Being outside is good for my soul and Natan loves it (most
of the time).
What is your favorite exercise?
Running (by myself) and Stroller Strides!
What is your proudest moment?
The experience
of giving birth to each of my children are by far my proudest moments. Each birth was totally unique, but I remember the distinct feeling
after each of them were born that there was nothing I couldn't do if put
my heart and soul into it.
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)?
I
treasure my relationship with my sister-friends (all of whom live
outside of Raleigh), yoga and meditation, and leading meaningful prayer
services.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique.
In
addition to concentrating in Judaic Studies, I spent a good part of my
high school and college years devoted to education and taught in Girls
Clubs in South Dallas, public schools in Harlem and Washington Heights
(in NYC), and ran a drop-in day camp for two summers in the South Bronx.
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say?
My
husband is my biggest fan (next to my kids and parents), so when I
asked him this question and he described me as: "Beautiful. Spiritual.
Intellectual. Loving. Devoted Ema (mother). Beloved friend."
Special thanks to our friends at Omega Sports for further honoring our Mom of the Month with a $10 store gift card!
