Mother’s Day is this weekend and I have been reflecting on the wonderful, yet challenging gift of time that life in COVID-19 quarantine has meant for me and my children. To be a mom, a teacher, a cook, a confidant, and a badass dream chaser all at once is no small feat. Mamas everywhere, you are doing amazing.
To be a mom, a teacher, a cook, a confidant, and a badass dream chaser all at once is no small feat.
As parts of our country start down the long-road to recovery, I find myself wondering what happens next? We’re defining a new normal for our own children and working through it day by day, one step at a time. The U.S. is moving forward, but this virus knows no boundaries. And I’m thinking about the children and families around the world who are just beginning to know its effects. Do they have what they need to be safe? Do they have what they need to be healthy?
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Battling COVID-19 along with my 3-year-old son was the most physically and emotionally challenging experience I have gone through as a mother. Weeks after receiving our test results, my son was still ill and feverish. It was a terrifying time, not knowing what might come next.
But our story is not unique; there are mothers all over America, and the world, that are facing this same uncertainty every single day. Not every family, especially those living on reservations, or in refugee camps, slums, or favelas, are able to practice social distancing. In many parts of the world it can take hours just to access water, and even then, soap may be an impossible luxury.
As we begin to envision what life will look like on the other side of this, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of moms around the globe and consider doing what we can to help keep their babies safe. How can we partake in ensuring their access to the basic human rights that so many of us are afforded each and every day?
I’m proud to support incredible domestic organizations that have been working to protect our children and our frontline workers here in the U.S., and equally proud to be an ambassador for a global organization that is on the front lines of this crisis, working in over 190 countries to do the same.
UNICEF is getting supplies into the hardest to reach places, helping governments and communities prevent the disease from spreading by training health workers, assisting teachers and schools, and working with all levels of government. We might not physically be able to be there for every child, but it’s a comfort to know that organizations like UNICEF are.
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This Mother’s Day, as you hold your babies tight, I encourage you to think about all the mamas around the world who still need our help. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said it best: this won’t end for anyone, until it ends for everyone. I know you would do anything to protect your own child, so let’s make sure every mama has the same opportunity and resources to protect theirs.
Tune in to "UNICEF Won't Stop" on Saturday, May 9th at 8 p.m. ET to learn more about UNICEF’s work around the world.