"I want to show the world I can do it. I want to show women who look like me that they can do it, too." Lhakpa was the first Nepalese woman to summit Everest and descend alive, which she accomplished in the spring of 2000. With nine summits, she holds the world record for women. She plans to summit the world’s highest mountain again in the spring of 2020, but as an unsponsored athlete and single mother of three, it’s difficult to afford training and travel. She currently works at Whole Foods washing dishes, making minimum wage. Lhakpa Sherpa summited Everest eight months after the birth of her first child, and again while two months pregnant with Shiny. Now a teenager, her daughter Shiny says of her mother: ‘I’m proud of her, but I worry.’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/31/mount-everest-lhakpa-sherpa-climbed-nine-times-world-record

Maryann started her business, Pearl River Florist, 38 years ago. After graduation from college, my daughter Stephanie joined the business. And it’s been madness, sometimes every day, ever since. But neither would change the situation. Best thing about working together? Steph: " I get to see my mom every day." Maryann: " I am lucky to be the mother and co-worker with the most amazing person I know." The worst thing about working with each other? Steph : "Sometimes we can get on each other’s nerves." Maryann : "Sometimes we can get on each other’s nerves, but mostly nothing is the answer for me." What is your typical day at work like? Both:  "Crazy!" How do you inspire each other? Steph:  "My mom is nice to everyone, even when she doesn’t want to be. And she makes an example of her charity every day." Maryann:  "Steph’s honesty, drive, commitment, compassion,and she teaches me something new every day." What have you learned from your mom? Steph:  "To learn from my mistakes whatever it is, it will not be the end of the world and it all works out... eventually." Has either of you ever considered another career? Both:  "Sometimes every day!"

by Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) "I’ve written so much about my mother. I can say that I owe her everything. In my everyday life, I don’t do anything that she didn’t do. For example, my way of cooking, of preparing a navarin of lamb, blanquettes. My love of ingredients, she had, too. I bore everyone at home with that. When there’s no extra bottle of oil on hand, it’s a problem. That’s normal. What’s abnormal is buying only one bottle of oil. What can you do with just one bottle of oil? What a disaster!" https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/10/01/motherhood-makes-you-obscene/