Silvia

It's Mother's Day in about 1/2 hour and I wanted to write something in Tribute of Mother's Day. Then I realized, there is no way I can talk about Mother's Day and not mention my grandmother. As a teenager when I was doing atrocious, she used to say "I did not bring you to this country and scrub toilets for you to ...." This was her famous saying. But it got me to thinking, she really did scrub toilets and do menial jobs to save money in order to bring me and my mother to NYC to make something of our lives. She has since died, over ten years and I could never thank her enough for the sacrifices that she made. When she was alive, I did not tell her how thankful I am that she traveled as a woman, to make it here on her own, raising her children and grandchildren. Her legacy lives on in me and I embrace life and all it's opportunities to pass on to those around me. I give because I am here and because I am able. I serve others because that is why I am here. I pour out myself because of the values I have inherited. I do my best to pass on her values to my children. I am proud to belong to such a brave and intellegent woman. My mother has this same "grit" for life and I want to use every moment making a difference as a thank you to her. I guess in closing, I want to remind us that Mother's Day is not just about our biological mother's but about the women before us and the women in our lives who have served as care givers; women who we respect and who respect us. Let's redifine Mother's Day to be inclusive of the mothers we love and are grateful for. Happy Mother's Day.