Celebrating Rosemarie, Susie, and Shannon

Today’s blog is a celebration of moms.

I have an amazing mom, Rosemarie. She grew up in Philadelphia, attending a Catholic school for girls. They were told they could aspire to be secretaries or nurses.

She didn’t accept that.

She became a doctor at a time when women weren’t welcome in the profession. Adding to that, she gave birth to me while in medical school at the Medical College of Virginia. I picture how hard it was for her to do this in an environment that wasn’t friendly toward women in the first place. Not only did she give birth during medical school, but she graduated early!

Prior to medical school, she went to college at Villanova University where only a few women were on campus and even fewer in the chemistry department. The school said that college sports were only for men.

She didn’t accept that.

In fact, Rosemarie helped to start the women’s basketball program at the school. She and her friends did what the athletic department should have done, scheduling the games, fundraising and organizing all aspects of the team. She goes back for the Villanova alumni games and plays against young ladies who are a foot taller and five decades younger.

Mom, you are an amazing person! You always put your children ahead of yourself, and continue to do so as a grandmother. Thank you for marking “none of the above” when presented with the limited choices of what you could do and who you could be.

I also have an amazing mom through my marriage, Susie. She grew up outside of Tuba City and also faced significant moments in her life where as both a woman and as a Dine’ person, people told her that her options were limited.

Susie didn’t accept that, becoming a star on the basketball court and in the classroom. Today, she continues to advocate for her community, to ask the hard questions of leaders when everyone else is silent. She stands up for protecting Dine’ Bikeyah (Navajo Land) from commercial interests.

Mom Susie, you are an amazing person! I am honored to be your son.

And then I turn to my wife Shannon who I get to see mothering our children every day. I hear from others on a regular basis how much they admire you, how you hold yourself as a Dine’ woman, leader, knowledge keeper, mentor, friend, and mother.

Shannon, you are an amazing person! Thank you for allowing me to be at your side for these past two decades.

Take time to show the moms and mother figures in your life how much they mean to you this weekend. And next week. And every day beyond that.

A picture of mom and dad on the day she graduated from medical school. Baby Anthony is asking, via my facial expressions in the pic, "Does this mean I have to become a doctor too??"