Cathy Liles and I met back in the early ’80’s when both of us were new moms, and both of us became La Leche League leaders. Those were the tenderest of years. Breastfeeding my babies was one of the most important things I’ve ever done in this ol’ life, and it was equally important to have friends like Cathy to share those experiences with.
You could say that we grew up together, right alongside our children.
Here’s Cathy with her family. From left to right is youngest son Garrison, daughter Marisa, Cathy, husband Ben, and oldest son Benjamin.
And here she is with her own mom, Peggy.
Cathy has spent her life as an advocate for nursing babies and their mothers. She has served on the board for the International La Leche League; she has worked in international circles at the United Nations in developing policies that affect breastfeeding pairs; and she has been tireless in her support for better infant and maternal health.
No one deserves this lifetime achievement award more than my friend Cathy Liles.
And just as Cathy’s life changed with the birth of her baby, so too did mine. I would never have become a writer for children if I had not become a mother. And those breastfeeding days showed up in this book that is now long out of print…
The illustrations by Dale Gottlieb are just wonderful. And to honor Cathy, here’s the spread du jour:
Calloo, callay, my homies!