LEGACY

My grandmother and her third daughter, my mother, put on maids’ uniforms and cooked and sewed and served a family that employed my grandmother until she was nearly 80. I owe these women everything. They taught me hope and kindness and how to say thank you.

—Patricia Raybon

How do we say “thank you� Our words of appreciation are important. Our mothers and aunts and grandmothers—our fathers and grandfathers, too—deserve to be lauded for their diligence and sacrifice. Yet words alone do not convey real gratitude. What is “thanks, Mom†if we do not follow it up with our own effort? We must teach our children that the positive attitude that fueled our forebears’ hard work must fuel ours.

Call to Action: On this day, I will take five minutes to say to my child that we honor the struggles of our forebears when we pursue our dreams with zeal and determination.