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- Kirsten Kay
Space of Love
My January Keeping the Faith inspiring person is Brenda Vetter. She, along with her husband Jon and 3 daughters run SoL Criations, a beautiful sanctuary for people and animals in Endeavor WI. I’ll let you read more about what she does on her website http://www.solcriations.com/ , because she has a much better way with words than I do and I want to tell you more about the person she is verses the work she does.
From SoL Criations website:
“Here in our SoL – “Space of Love”, we wish to inspire a shift in perspective. A new story of peace and gentle reverence for all life. Helping to reawaken our connection with animals and the Earth. Caring, advocating, educating and mentoring for the animals through making connections, empowering hearts and opening minds to make conscious, compassionate choices for the animals, the Earth and ourselves.”
I have known Brenda for over 15 years and have watched her grow from a quite, sensitive women into a beautiful, passionate, strong women that inspires and motivates me every day.
She grew up like so many of us in the Midwest being taught traditional views of animal agriculture and wellness. Her home is located in a conservative farming community with long established ideas and beliefs about how animals and the earth should be cared for. As she became immersed in her own alpaca farming she found that the conventional way of doing things was not always the best way for the animals or the earth. She listened to her heart and followed it even when it was not the most popular choice. Her curiosity and willingness to question her beliefs about caring for her family, her land and her animals lead her to create SoL Criations.
Her sanctuary is on a small wooded property at the end of a dead end road. Here she provides a home for numerous alpacas, goats, dogs, cats, bees, turkeys, chickens, and other feathered friends and lives in harmony with Mother Nature. She invites people into her home to share her kind and gentle way of caring for the animals and the earth. Her property and programs are completely accessible to everyone regardless of ability or income. The whole place is wheelchair accessible and she operates mostly on donations. She has a very comforting way of making everyone feel welcomed when they visit and relaxed and at peace when they leave.
Over the years I have watched in amazement at how her living true to her heart and freely sharing what she has learned is moving others to look at their choices a little differently, a little bit more compassionately, even in her traditional community.
I chose Brenda for this Keeping the Faith project because I am inspired by her willingness to questions her own beliefs and actions, her willingness to learn and grow. I’m inspired by how she listens to her heart and follows her intuition regardless of the opinions of the world around her, how time and time again she chooses love and kindness for all living beings. I am inspired by her strength to stand up for what she believes in even in the face of adversity and by her love and commitment for the earth and all living creatures. But most of all I am inspired by her gentle, sensitive, caring and passionate spirit that shows me a kinder way to be in the world.
What inspires her?
"Others who stand up and do what is right, what they are passionate about, even if it is outside of what's normal and even if it is difficult."
What motivates Her?
"I am motivated by my heart and by keeping my actions, words and life in line with my heart, what I know to be true and right. By them... by watching and paying attention to what they need (the animals, the children, the Earth, their well-being, their future) and then taking the next step. Following my heart, asking the next question, learning a better way, making the change and then living it."
