The Legacy of SOIL’s Longest Serving Volunteer – My Mother

Pat Kramer
This month’s newsletter is dedicated to the legacy of my mother Pat Kramer, who passed away peacefully on June 9, and to all of the mothers of the extended SOIL family who have passed. Losing a family member, either biological or chosen, is a universal experience that binds us together in our shared humanity, and also offers the chance to reflect on the transformative power of human relationships.
My mother was my earliest teacher, my closest friend and SOIL’s longest serving volunteer. She taught me from an early age that compassion and kindness are as important as ambition and intellect, modeling a delicate balance of emotion and action which has underpinned SOIL’s values over the past 18 years. Without her emotional support, I surely would not have had the confidence and courage to commit myself to our shared mission at SOIL and, without her concrete contributions to the organization through her volunteer work, the SOIL team would not have built the incredible network of supporters around the world who have served as a lifeline to the organization.
Many of you who have followed SOIL will recognize Pat’s address, and some of you will have had the chance to get to know her over the years through her volunteer work with the organization. For over 15 years our official mailing address for donations was Pat’s home, the home that I grew up in. Pat took such joy in receiving your donations and sending out thank you letters. My mother was an empath, easily saddened by the suffering of others, and she often said that seeing the outpouring of solidarity and kindness through the correspondence of SOIL supporters was a constant reminder that there is goodness in this world, even in the midst of tremendous suffering.
This newsletter is a testament to Pat’s influence in that it brings together the personal and the professional. Her dedication to SOIL came from a deep belief in the power of solidarity and kindness and a true appreciation for the mission of the organization. This dedication to the work we do has been a consistent hallmark of the SOIL team and the foundation which has allowed us to continue to operate even under the most extreme circumstances. As a team, we work professionally to deliver the highest quality service that we can because we believe in the work, but we also love and respect one another as colleagues and take strength in supporting one another in our work during the difficult moments we pass through as individuals. Relationships are the key to resilience and my mother invested all of her passion into the relationships she held dear, and I have certainly felt the power of deep human connection through the love and support of my colleagues over the past weeks.

My mother also taught me about the beauty and power of ecology. My sister and I grew up in the woods of Upstate NY, learning from an early age about the wisdom of the natural world; the strength of a hummingbird, the persistence of a beaver, the steady comfort to be found in a stand of trees. From her we also learned about the inevitable circle of life as we watched the birth and death of the creatures around us. She taught us about the connections between the living and the dead through the natural process of decomposition and the enduring gift of memory.
My mother was buried the same day that she died in a green burial on the land where she raised her family. She wanted her body to be returned to the soil from which it came, sharing her lifeforce with the many organisms who had nurtured her for decades. She died as she lived – a quiet, yet fierce, inspiration with an impact that extended far beyond the hills where she was laid to rest.
For those who knew her, please consider a donation to a cause that you believe in in lieu of flowers. Notes of remembrance can be shared by email. And, for those of you who would like to make a gift in her honor to SOIL, please note that with your contribution and I will find a way to convey your kindness to her through dreams and memories where she will always live on as my closest confidant and SOIL’s most committed supporter. And to help fulfill her lifelong wish, please take a moment to honor a strong woman in your life.
Love, Sasha