ELIZABETH PEACE – Beaufort Life-style

The Magical Hard Work of Mothering

story by JENNIFER BROWN CARPENTER                    images courtesy of the PEACE FAMILY

American novelist Barbara Kingsolver as soon as stated, “Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” For Elizabeth Peace, this has all the time been true. Whether working odd jobs as a single mom, juggling a profession with the Federal Government and elevating youngsters, educating adults and youngsters on youngster sexual abuse prevention, or mothering Marines who discover themselves removed from dwelling on holidays, Elizabeth has been appropriately named South Carolina’s 2026 Mother of the Year® by American Mothers, Inc.

South Carolina is the thirteenth state that Elizabeth has discovered herself residing in. “If you ask me where I am from, I honestly don’t know what to say,” she laughs. Right out of highschool, Elizabeth joined the U.S. Air Force, coming into Security Forces. “I had every intention of the Air Force helping pay for my college, getting a master’s degree, and joining the FBI. 18-year-old me was completely focused on becoming a criminal psychologist. And then I had my first child and everything changed.” Elizabeth was 20 years previous and altered the complete trajectory of her life. “I became a mother and went into journalism. Every major shift in my life since then has occurred because I was, in the moment, making the best decision possible for my family and me.”

Elizabeth left the Air Force as a single mom and did what most younger mother and father do: labored any job she might discover. “I went from having a career in the military to just focusing on feeding an adorable baby.” She received a job at a neighborhood print newspaper and that was the take-off of Elizabeth’s future in journalism. She had all the time cherished writing, all the best way again to engaged on the varsity newspaper in highschool, and she or he cherished the job she discovered. “In both law enforcement and in journalism, you meet both the best and the worst of humanity,” Elizabeth says. “I have always been fascinated with learning more about people and the human mind, and why people make the decisions they make.”

After marrying her husband, Warren Peace (now a Master Sgt. within the Marine Corps), Elizabeth started to consider her profession. Warren could be despatched abroad, come again for a brief stint, after which be gone once more. Elizabeth herself had gone from a job in print to a place on the radio after which on to being a information anchor. She was combating managing her job, two youngsters, her husband being abroad, and prepping for yet one more transfer. “I decided to move into working for the Federal Government and taking a position in Public Affairs.” Five years in the past, Elizabeth was supplied a place on the Department of the Interior. “They understood that I was a military spouse of an active-duty member, and that they would have to work with me wherever my husband got orders. They were committed to that and to working with me, and so I have stayed with them. They allowed me to be a mom first, as my children were transitioning into high school, without giving up my career.”

Elizabeth’s days are targeted on operating her superior group and ensuring that they’ve a superb deal with on communications. “I can tell you that it is incredibly good and hard work. In the last year and a half, I have done more work than I ever have in my career. I am balancing not wanting to let my boss and employees down, and also getting my youngest off to college in the fall.”

Elizabeth moved to Beaufort in April 2025, after her husband had been stationed right here in 2024. “This is by far my favorite duty station we’ve ever been. We feel like the grandparents of our little military neighborhood. There are a lot of young families, and we’re definitely the oldest of the group. We love it.”

Through experiences that each Elizabeth and her youngsters had, she found Darkness to Light, a nonprofit group that’s devoted to stopping youngster sexual abuse. “That was a crucial turning point for our family. We wanted to move forward and be able to educate other parents and adults. For the last 15 years, I have been talking to youth, and teaching and educating on sexual abuse. As a family, we decided that we were not going to hide behind the things that had happened, and we were going to use those experiences to help others. We got really involved in teaching these things and educating parents, especially in military settings where these things can often go unnoticed and unprosecuted. We wanted to address these things with children on an age-appropriate level and so with my husband’s help, we created Sgt. BARK, a series of coloring books addressing things like body boundaries, not keeping secrets from trusted adults, and more.”

Another approach that Elizabeth makes use of her nurturing facet is by usually internet hosting younger Marines in her dwelling. “I call them kids even if they are in their 20s,” she laughs. “Some of these kids can’t go home for Christmas or Thanksgiving or whatever the holiday is. My heart can’t handle that, so we bring them here. We get them stockings, presents, and give them a good dinner. It’s amazing. I love having them here and getting to see my husband mentor them and pour into them.”

Elizabeth was nominated as South Carolina’s 2026 Mother of the Year® by her greatest pal. “The moment that I got the notification that I had been nominated I knew that she was the one who did it. She is one of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders. But I sat on it, because I started really thinking, ‘But AM I?’ I thought about it and eventually asked my 18-year-old if he thought I should accept it. I wasn’t going to if he didn’t think I should. And he said, ‘Yeah, I’d agree.’ That was all the endorsement I got out of him and it was enough. Hearing that from my kid meant more than being nominated or chosen.” Elizabeth had by no means heard of American Mothers, Inc. previous to her pal getting concerned. She hopes that extra individuals will study concerning the coronary heart of this group, which works to teach, encourage, and acknowledge moms and all they do to positively impression each their households and communities. “Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, an adoptive mom … whatever it is, mothering is hard work. I would love for more women to be nominated as Mother of the Year®, and to be recognized, honored, and celebrated for the hard work they do as mothers.”

When requested what recommendation she would give to moms, Elizabeth says, “My advice to mothers is to find something that makes you a person outside of being a parent or employee or spouse. You have to find something that is unique and solely for you. If you’re always focused on being the best employee, the best wife, the best mother … then who in the world are you? It took me into my mid-thirties to realize that.”

When Elizabeth just isn’t laborious at work, whether or not in her profession, as a mom, or by means of mentoring others, she enjoys sitting on her entrance porch, strolling her canine alongside the seaside, and amassing seashells for her flower beds. “I love being in Beaufort. It is so peaceful. We are grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be part of this community.”