By Cathy Holmes

Dorothy Engst is a sprite faerie goddess. Her humble view on growing older is simply angelic. She and women like her are building a legacy through a fundraiser created to empower all women:

Dorothy twinkles when she says: “To find real beauty in a woman, I look to her strength, her genuine strength; the kind that is forged and tempered as part of a fully-lived life. I’m not talking about the vigour needed to chop wood and start the fire every morning, although for many of us that is the case. But rather, I mean the strength that comes when we’ve loved and lost too many times. The strength that comes when we swallow our fears and release our children to learn from their own mistakes. The strength that comes as we struggle through bouts of hopelessness—mental, financial, spiritual, physical — and still manage to find the light on the other side.

 And now… the strength that comes as we face ageism. 

Smiling, she impishly continues: When I invited the women to take part in the calendar project, I assumed that at this stage in their life, like me; they wouldn’t be concerned about modeling nude. And for most of the cases, this was true. After all, these are the bodies of battle-worn, resilient women. Women who have been here for more than half a century. These women embrace every scar, both inside and out. They’ve gone through enough to say, “Bring it on…go ahead…I can do this!”

Dorothy continues: “It’s through life’s hardships that we gain our strength. The only thing more beautiful than a woman who bears the marks of time, is the woman who lifts up others who are going through the same. I consider myself blessed to live on an island where these women surround me.”

“The Faerie Goddess Mothers of Gabriola 2022 calendar is being created in real-time, Gabriola time; one photo per month. More than 50 amazing women are involved”

“We are the wings that hold each other up.”

Pre-order this enchanting calendar today!  Contact Dorothy Engst at authordorothy@gmail.com