Honoring mothers takes a village

Mother’s Day! Taking time to celebrate that woman who gave me life and nourishing both my body and spirit from the start in ways I learned more fully when it became my turn to mother.

I embrace all moms in the world today, especially those who because of the chance of birthplace missed the resources I counted on. My babies thrived, and yet others never make it to age 5, often due to unnecessary causes.

Fortunately, U.S. Congress has come together around this heartbreaking inequity. More than 140 legislators, Republican and Democrats alike have signed on to the Reach Every Mother and Child Act (H.R. 3706 and S. 1911). They know it’s right to improve the effectiveness of our combined maternal and child health works.

You can help by encouraging Representative Heck and Senators Murray and Cantwell to encourage the leadership of the House Foreign Affairs and Senator Foreign Relations Committee to work on the Reach Act. Post an email on their website this Mother’s Day

Your words to them will honor all moms. And then get your mom to do the same with her representatives.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Honoring mothers takes a village."