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.

My mom is an adventurer. A passionate reader and investigator of life. A compassionate advocate for helping people. She taught me I didn't have to be a certain way just because I was female. That gave me the greatest freedom of all-- to be myself. Thanks, mom! Happy Mother's Day.