My mother taught me so many things, it’s hard to choose which to write about. What always stands out for me was her fierce independence as a young woman. She told me she could do anything as well as the boys when she was a kid and she proved it to them often. She ran away from an abusive father to...

Being constantly compared to my mom annoyed me as a child. Now I think it is the highest compliment someone can give me. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

My mother has been my role model throughout my life. Strong, capable and compassionate, Nancy D’Alesandro was a woman of incredible energy and endless devotion to my brothers and me.

Most of what I know about love, self-respect, and kindness came from lessons taught by my mother. My mother taught me about the strength we gather from family, both the one we are born with and the one we create for ourselves. She taught me that at our lowest points, the hand of love will catch us when we feel like we are falling through space, pulled down by the gravity of despair.