Freelance writer Miriam Kamin, 41, is Women Who Shine's winning mother. You can read her personal blog, Woulda Coulda Shoulda, at http://wouldashoulda.com. Kamin lives with her family in the greater Atlanta area.
Miriam Kamin
Hero: There are tons of people I admire the heck out of, but if forced to pick just one, I'm going with Eve Ensler. Talk about overcoming adversity and turning it into the springboard for an empowering movement for a generation of women. I was in a local production of 'The Vagina Monologues' last year, and it really changed my life to be a part of it.
Inspiration: My children are always my greatest inspiration. They humble me and make me laugh until it hurts. They make me want to be a better person, and not just so that they won't someday end up in therapy bemoaning how awful I was, but so that when they're all grown up they'll still want to hang out with me.
Goal: Gratitude. I've done a lot of work this year on learning to appreciate what I have rather than bemoaning what I don't. Basically, I just want to be happy (don't we all?), and that comes from a kind of calm acceptance of reality. I'm working on it.
Dream: As cheesy as it may sound and as much as I'd love a clichéd beach vacation with frilly umbrellas in my drink, my dream is to foster community. I'm always telling my kids (half-jokingly), "If only you'd learn to use your powers for good." That really sums up what I wish for myself and everyone else. I want to be part of a supportive community, and I want to see that spirit of cooperation transcend our differences, our politics, and our personal agendas. I hope to someday tell my grandkids about how people used to argue and suffer and try to oppress one another and for them to live in the kind of world where they simply won't believe it was ever like that.
