A Beautiful Woman

America has been blessed with quality leaders throughout its history. The first president George Washington was a remarkable man who refused to run for a third term, even though he would have easily won. His integrity, honesty, and humility established a standard that Americans came to expect from their leaders.

Harriet Tubman

Of course not all of America’s leaders have been presidents or even men. Many women have also carved their names into our nation’s history. The African American Harriet Tubman comes to mind. She worked tirelessly in the Underground Railroad to free slaves, and also labored for women’s suffrage. Tubman once said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” She dreamed of equality between the races, as well as the women’s suffrage, and worked to make her dreams come true.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt is another in a long line of famous American women. First lady, author, journalist, and reformer, first U.S. representative to the U.N., Mrs. Roosevelt was perhaps the most influential woman of her time. She was loved and adored by people all over the world. Even after her husband’s death, she continued to engage in politics and work for humanitarian causes.

Last week America mourned the passing of another of its outstanding women leaders, Rosalynn Carter. She will join America’s pantheon of great women in American history. Her work to erase the stigma of mental illness, her efforts to make life better for the poor, her role as an ambassador of good-will around the world, her involvement with her husband’s campaigns for elected office, and especially her advisory role as first lady have all contributed to her legacy as one of America’s great public figures.

Rosalynn Carter

Mrs. Carter grew up in Plains, Georgia, a small town of just over 600 people. While in the White House, she was once asked if living in that fish-bowl existence troubled her, with everybody in the nation watching her every move. She grinned and said, “Look, I grew up in a small town where everybody knew my business anyway. In the White House, nothing has changed.”

She was a down-to-earth human being who met world leaders, powerful people and celebrities but never forgot who she was. Her son, Chip, gave one of the eulogies at her funeral and told a story that revealed the true nature of this incredible human being. It seems that Rosalynn and her family were seated in economy class on a Delta flight, when she took out her travel bag and began making pimento cheese sandwiches for her family. This woman, who had flown on Air Force One, was sitting in the back of an airplane, economy class, spreading pimento cheese on bread! When the family all had their sandwiches, she made sandwiches for any passenger who wanted one. Imagine, the former first lady of the United States, sitting in coach, fixing snacks for passengers! That’s the kind of pragmatic person Rosalynn Carter was!

Her son went on to add, “Mom met many great people but felt most comfortable with those in poverty.” Kathryn Cade, one of Mrs. Carter’s long-time friends and advisors, said that Rosalynn lived “a life that was about caring for others.” Mrs. Carter didn’t just believe her faith; she lived out her faith, which is the true mark of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

We live in a cynical age. Politicians lie and stretch the truth until the truth is unrecognizable. Tragically, it seems that many Americans have grown accustomed to less than honorable politicians, thinking that’s just the way it is. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. Those who campaign for our vote should be people of honorable character, with track records of service to others, and compassion for the less fortunate and poor. Leaders influence and set the tone for the rest of our country. Leaders should think first of others and be willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good.

Leaders are examples, whether they want to be or not, and serve as models for the rest of us. Common decency, humility, virtue, and self-sacrifice should characterize American leadership. Rosalynn Carter was an exemplary leader, someone the entire country could admire. Just look at how she and her husband spent their lives after holding the most powerful office in the world—they built homes for the homeless. And their involvement was not just a photo-op or cameo appearance; they actually worked and served right along-side the other carpenters, brick-layers, plumbers, electricians, and painters, and they did this kind of manual labor for years! What incredible human beings! What great Americans!

Chip Carter closed his eulogy with these words, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever met. And pretty to look at, too.” What an insightful compliment that speaks volumes about Rosalynn Carter, a woman who grew up in a small Georgia town, married a naval officer, raised a family, operated a peanut business, helped her husband to be elected governor of Georgia and then, later, president of the United States. And, yet, in spite of her many achievements, she never lost touch with the hurting, the poor, and the marginalized people of the world. She was truly a beautiful woman and one of the most admired people on earth.

May the memory of her life serve to remind our country of the kind of leaders we desperately need.