I was raised by strong women. My mom, Cecile Richards, fights daily for women's reproductive rights and social justice as president of Planned Parenthood. It's a legacy she got from her mom (my late grandma), Ann Richards, the former governor of Texas. I've learned that the most rewarding battles in life are those waged for something you truly believe in.

It's true that I have had lots of rewarding moments in my career. So did my mother. But knowing that my daughter is carrying on the legacy of fighting that my mother passed to me trumps 'em all. This Mother's Day, I'm honoring that legacy with a Planned Parenthood Federation of America Mother's Day gift. Join me.

For many of us, it was our mothers and grandmothers who instilled in us the need to leave this world a better place than we found it — and gave us the tools and courage and optimism to believe that we could. My mom did that for me and my siblings. And I've worked to do that for Hannah, and my younger children, Lily and Daniel.

That's the best gift any mother can give her children. And the best gift I can give her is to carry on her legacy — because we have so much to do. In all of my mother's activism — from the civil rights movement to the ERA — nothing meant more to her than women's rights.

Women's rights are certainly suffering today. At least one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. Millions of women and families are without access to health care. You can help with a gift to Planned Parenthood Federation of America today in honor of your mother or daughter, and on behalf of all the women, children, and families we help every day

When my mom left us, she was as unrepentant a feminist as any woman who ever lived. I'm proud that, as the leader of Planned Parenthood, I get the opportunity every day to carry forward work that honors her and honors all who came before her. And, I'm proud that my own children carry on that legacy. That's what it's all about, isn't it?

As Mother's Day approaches, I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference and hope you'll join me.

Happy Mother's Day,



Cecile Richards, President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America

P.S. If you like, you can make your gift in honor of someone you love for Mother's Day. And, we'll send that special person a card saying that you've chosen to make a gift to Planned Parenthood Federation of America in her or his name.