Happy Mother's Day
My mother, Ann Richards, was a fighter — and she would have been up in arms about the recent Supreme Court decision. I wish she was still with us now — I can almost hear the call to arms she’d give us all in the wake of the Supreme Court abandoning women’s health.
Inevitably, we all arrive at our first Mother’s Day without our own mother here to share it. This year, it’s my turn to go through that experience. So, this coming Sunday is going to be a little tough. Mother’s Day is a time to give thanks for what our mothers gave us and to celebrate this most important person in our lives. For the first time, I’ll be remembering my mother rather than being with her. And that is a hard reality to face.
But still, I am filled with hope. Let me tell you why.
For many of us, it was our mothers and grandmothers who instilled in us the need to leave this world a better place than we found it — and gave us the tools and courage and optimism to believe that we could. My Mom did that for me and my siblings. And I’ve worked to do that for my daughters, Lily and Hannah, and my son, Daniel.
That’s the best gift any mother can give her children. And the best gift we can give her is to carry on her legacy — because we still have a lot left to do. In all of my mother’s activism — from the civil rights movement to the ERA — nothing meant more to her than women’s rights.
So, please, make a special Mother’s Day gift to Planned Parenthood Federation of America — in memory of Ann Richards and on behalf of all the mothers, children, and families we help every day.
When Mom left us, she was as unrepentant a feminist as any woman who ever lived. I’m proud that, as the leader of Planned Parenthood, I get the opportunity every day to carry forward work that honors her and honors all who came before her. And I thank you for the chance to work side by side with you advancing women’s health and promoting women’s rights.
I hope you will help me honor her teachings with your support today.
Happy Mother’s Day,
Cecile
Published: 05.11.07
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