May 08, 2020

你好,

这个星期天是母亲节。我want to take this opportunity to wish the mothers of McGovern Medical School a wonderful day. Mothers often balance work and home, but the pandemic has made life especially complicated and stressful for all families.

我think of my own mother at this time of year—a remarkable and selfless person, with a single-minded love for, and dedication to, her family. A well-educated woman (spoke 7 languages fluently) from a prominent family, she left Europe all alone in 1939—no family, no friends, no possessions. I cannot imagine what it was like for a young woman to leave her family, to leave her life, and board a boat for NYC, not knowing what the future would bring for her or her loved ones. She met my father, a physician, soon after arriving in the United States. Forward some years, she was widowed in her 40’s, raised two children alone, worked until she was 86 years old—lived her life with grace and bravery.

Such a cliché but true. I never could have imagined the joy of being a mother. I have been so fortunate to have three wonderful children—now adults. My daughter—a trauma critical care surgeon, very much on the frontlines caring for patients during the pandemic; my eldest son a computer engineer, living in Berlin, working for a company that provides online teaching in grammar and writing; my youngest son, a rising third-year medical student. Although we are physically isolated because of this nasty virus, we now talk almost every day—a silver lining of the pandemic that I hope continues.

Please think of the mothers in your lives. Join me in saying THANK YOU to all mothers out there, doing their best in these difficult times.

Warm regards,
Barbara