Subject: My mother is my EVERYTHING
From: Assemblymember Michael A. Blake<[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2016 22:03:39 +0000
List-Id: 455bc6c87b952f7efebdc076emc list <455bc6c87b952f7efebdc076e.340229.list-id.mcsv.net>

Hilary Lawrence.

You have seen her name in our e-mails. She has spoken at our events. Her voice has been on the other end of the line to encourage people to participate in our communities.

She is my Mama. Our Mama. For Donovan, Dexter, Larry and myself.  Hilary Lawrence is a remarkable, phenomenal and amazing woman.

Mama Hilary is a devout Christian who sings, prays, leads services and preaches from time to time.  Mama worked long hours for 40 years at a manufacturing plant for us.  She beat breast cancer and overcame adversity. She's a loving Grandmother, Aunt and mentor to countless people.

She did all of these things for us because Hilary Lawrence is a MOTHER.

Like so many mothers, Mama did everything so we could dream of being anything.  Our hopes are realized because she refused to allow the reality on the outside to deny us of our aspirations.

Across many cultures and continents, motherhood is a universal language understood by mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and women caretakers. These are the women who gave us life, encouraged us during tough times, nourished us to health when we were sick and gave us the love and support we needed to pursue our dreams.

This year, the New York State Legislature passed a budget that provides workers with up to 12 weeks of paid family leave benefits to care for infants and family members with a serious health condition. I support paid family leave because I understand how important it is to be with an infant during those first few months and how equally important it is to be able to care for loved ones without fear of losing your job. Being a mother or a caretaker should never be a burden. Our laws must continue to support, not punish, women responsible for filling these roles.

"From No House in Jamaica to the Black House at Northwestern University, to The White House in Washington, D.C. to the state house in Albany."  Those words are not just my personal motivational mantra, it's our family's journey.  A journey that was filled with Mama helping me through the Top Tomato little league baseball team, karate class, piano and Spanish lessons (which I promise Mama that I will return to both), preaching the gospel, singing in choir, volunteering with children and seniors and now serving my community.

Saying Happy Mother's Day is not enough for me to say to you Mama and to all of the mothers out there. I say THANK YOU. I love you. None of us would be here without you.  I owe my all to you.

Hilary Lawrence – Every day is Mother's Day.  I'm just happy the world takes a moment to show you and all of the glorious mothers out there love today because as the subject line says,

My mother is my EVERYTHING.

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