‘I am the woman I am today because of you’
Dearest Mama,
Every Mother’s Day, I have written you a card or a letter since I was a child. In our family, it was never about gifts. Letters and verbal expressions were always more important. This time it’s a little different, as I beam with pride shouting out to the world how proud I am to be loved by YOU!
I am the woman I am today because of you. Thank you for showing me that I am valuable and should be treated no less. Thank you for showing me that there is no trail in life that one cannot pass through, and that challenges always make us stronger. You are so tough and a perfect example of an empowered woman.
Because of you, I saw that I can have a successful career and still be a dedicated wife and mother. In the end, the greatest reward of motherhood is the love we share with those who matter most. And though you lost your own mother so young, you spread that love in turn with a lifetime of loving those who needed love the most. For that, I am forever grateful.
Love you beyond the stars! Thank you for the gift of mothers like you!
Love,
Vanessa
Emily Garon, cofounder of The Nazareth Formation House and Golden Values School (GVS), was part of the pioneering group that spearheaded Republic Act No. 8980. She was the first Early Childhood Care and Development Council deputy executive director, and is the mother of GVS director Vanessa Vandevoort.
