Moms Understand

Protect Our Breasts’ Executive Board is made up of a small team of students who accomplish great things while at the University of Massachusetts – meeting several times each week, devoting themselves to our mission. And then every May, a few take leave and make space for the next leaders-in-training. The transition is difficult for all of us, and sometimes – as Riki shares – only a mother will do.Riki-Adams

I’ve realized Mother’s Day following graduation is actually very fitting. There was a sad realization each senior felt yesterday that his or her mom has been undergoing for the past four years. Let me explain.

Every mother with tissues and cameras yesterday devoted at least 18 years of sacrificing their time and mastering a quirky routine to build a special home. Every day they prepared dinner, waking everyone up for school, making beds, carpooling, etc. (emphasis on the etc.) Then one day, that approached devastatingly fast, she dropped you off at college. The home she had spent all those years perfecting and inhabiting, was stripped of a major feature, you.

That’s a feeling all too familiar with me these past months -working with Protect Our Breasts. Being a part of this organization was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It became a home base for our college years. I don’t think any of us thought we would be able to accomplish projects like our mission video and our first ever Yogathon, adding thousands to our online community and new chapters at other schools, but somehow we did. It’s not easy devoting so much time to building a home with these girls and knowing that our quirky routines, memorable trips, and special dinners will continue without one major feature – us.

This is a sad part of life. Even though you know we’ll be okay eventually, having to say goodbye to so much is never fair. But to save myself from crying one more time, I’d like to imagine these moments are gifts. Sadness about leaving any place you call home means you allowed it to become special and that’s the universe saying you’ve done something right.

So squeeze in a little mom time today – she knows what this feels like. If you’re scared, sad, and angry about this new forced change in your life, don’t be afraid to reach out to her. Her home has changed plenty of times – from getting married, having her first child, moving away, and even graduating herself. She is an incredibly wise soul with a heart of gold who charges $0 an hour to listen to you cry and blow your nose.

Cheers -Riki

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