I fondly remember being a young girl, sitting in a booster seat in the back of the car and spotting pinwheels around Tallahassee as my mom drove my brother and me to and from school and extracurriculars.
I remember spending a family vacation in Colorado and seeing multiple pinwheel gardens. More recently, I recall noticing them around my college town in school. For those aware of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the pinwheel symbol reminds us how far and wide the effort extends. By this point, I’m no longer surprised to see a pinwheel wherever I go in April, but I’m still just as excited and proud.
My mom, Anita Odom, is tireless in pursuing a better life for herself and her family; she extends that same energy to humanity. I’m so grateful to have inherited a fraction of her endless empathy, generosity, and drive to help people. I’ve witnessed the times that the weight of the subject has taken a toll on her emotionally as well as the times she’s fulfilled not only her role but played a key role in making historic developments in building the national network. Watching my mom’s career progression taught me the value of stamina and patience in professional settings, especially those involving the social sciences and public policy. Just because change doesn’t happen overnight doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Even from the outside, I can tell it is not an easy job at any level, but those who work in prevention seem to form special communities in a way I’ve never seen in any other field. The mutual understanding that collaboration is not simply ideal but necessary to address such profound objectives makes for a powerful team dynamic.
Now, I’m on my own in a big city, and the pinwheels popping up around April are still the same inspiring reminder that the woman I’m lucky to call my mom and all her amazing colleagues have committed so much of their lives to improving childhoods for all. When I spotted the classic blue glimmer and pinwheel logo in Piedmont Park during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, there was no question whether I would visit the booth. Of course, a part of me wanted to brag that my mom is THE Anita Odom, but I wanted to thank the wonderful women spending their Friday night working. Their presence at the festival is a grand testament to their connection to the cause and the sacrifices they’re willing to make to support it.
Meeting people who are part of the nationwide movement for happy and healthy kids is an honor. I hope to be part of the movement in some small way, even if just by carrying forward what I’ve learned from my mother to the communities I belong to and my future family.
To all who kept CAP month going strong in 2024 – thank you. Your service does not go unnoticed.
Mamie Odom, a new Atlanta resident, is learning the city after joining Palisade Hudson Financial Group, LLC in 2023 as a client services associate. Mamie graduated from the University of Florida cum laude with dual bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics, along with a minor in family, youth, and community sciences.
Editor’s note:
Members of the PCA Georgia team met Mamie Odom, center, at the recent Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Her mother, Anita Odom, serves as National Director of State Chapters at Prevent Child Abuse America. After visiting with Mamie at the Celebrating Georgia Families outreach booth, we wanted to share this story of connection; you never know how the impact of this work will echo through the generations.