"My Mother, My Best Friend"

Name: Raquel
Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Lessons from my mom: "Patience, support, constant love."

My mom was 19 years old when she gave birth to me. She's been my best friend ever since. I’m still amazed when I think of her constant patience, always listening to the stories I have to share. My mom celebrated the excitement of my first kiss and consoled me when that kiss became history. She came with me on that stressful day when I filled out college applications. It's not a coincidence that when I think about an important moment in my life my mom is connected to it. Most importantly, I'm grateful for my mother’s legacy of love for her family. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

This Mother's Day, honor your mother by changing the life of a mother in Africa.

Shabnam - "My Mother's Influence"

Name: Shabnam
Hometown: Los Angeles

I love my mother for many reasons. She is loving, fun, creative, young at heart, and outright hilarious. She has taught me to never give up an opportunity to dance. That everything looks better in the morning. And that you should always smile in the face of pretty much anything--even the most embarrassing of moments. And even though my natural tendency is to take myself very seriously, it's because of her that I know it's OK to just be silly every once in a while.

I love you, mama.

This Mother's Day card, honor your mother by changing the life of another.

Seraphine - "My Mother's Influence"

Name: Seraphine
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

When I was a little girl, my family visited my grandparents in Kitale, an agricultural town in western Kenya. It wasn’t long after we arrived that I became ill with severe abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea. I remember my mother carrying me on her back and leaving my grandmother’s grass hut in the middle of the night. There was no electricity in the village and my mother walked several miles in the dark of night in search of transportation to take me to the nearest healthcare facility. That memory will stay with me forever.

Thank you, mother, for teaching me love, sacrifice, leadership, and the importance of giving. I love you.

This Mother's Day, honor your mother by changing the life of another.