Mother’s Day in Key West

by Barbie Wilson Photography

As much as I love the tropical climate and the gorgeous sunsets, it’s the people of Key West that really inspire me. So, in honor of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I wanted to introduce you to one of the wonderful people who call Key West home.

My very first interactions with Lisa Malcom were on Twitter some months ago. What drew my attention to her were her upbeat happy tweets. @ViaKeyWest is always posting a good morning smile. She loves life and it shows. I had the honor to finally meet her face to face a few weeks ago. She’s an amazing woman inside and out, and I’m so glad to be building a friendship with her. Lisa and I traded messages and talked over the weekend. Here is what she had to say about motherhood and living in Key West.

MR: What’s it like raising a family in Key West?

LM: I was asked this question yesterday and I said then, “I LOVE it!” My children will be 5 and 6 in the next month.  They attend Montessori Children’s School, and they are like little sponges taking in everything each day.  I’m impressed with what they are learning at such a young age. My children come home and ask “Mom … do you like nature … Mom we need to save the polar bears … don’t use plastic bags etc.”  They are concerned about the health of our planet and at such a young age that is so good because they will be trained to take care of this place we live in.

I love the fact that my children are outside all the time.  That’s one of the many benefits of living in Key West … everything is 5 minutes away, including the beaches. I also love the fact that we can walk everywhere!  And when there is a parade my kids sit on the curb and wait for candy to be thrown … it’s small town with big hearts!

MR: Tell me about your best Mommy Moment.

LM: I have soooooooooooo many.  Every day is a mommy moment. You can take away anything you want from me … job, home etc but not the health and well-being of my family!  I look at my children everyday and I’m so thankful they are healthy and say to me “mom … you’re the best mommy ever”. It’s challenging, but it’s the most rewarding thing I could ever do. From the bottom of my heart, my children ARE the best gift I could ever get for Mother’s Day. I LOVE being a mom!

MR: Tell me about how ViaKeyWest.com came about.

LM: When I moved to Key West about 13 years ago I was very involved with the arts.  This town is full of talented artisans.  In the back of my head I always had an idea of doing something that would help get the word out about these amazing people.  During the economic crisis I decided to do just that … create Via Key West as a place to celebrate the talented artisans inspired by Key West!  I also created Via Key West as a 2nd job for me but one I could do from home without leaving my family.  I particularly wanted to show the inspiration behind the creations. I want people to know why a photographer shot that photo and the importance of it. I want to tell the story behind the jewelry. Via Key West is about unique handcrafted gifts from the heart. It’s an honor to get to expose all of the people affiliated with Via Key West to the world.  I love it!

Lisa says often that she loves it! But if you spend any time with her at all, you quickly learn that she truly means it. She is passionate about her husband and her children. She’s passionate about Key West. That passion shines through in everything she does.

If you’re still looking for that perfect last-minute Mother’s Day gift, I recommend that you click on over to ViaKeyWest.com and share the gift of a mother’s love.

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