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Happy Mother's Day from Best Buddies!
My mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, guided me in everything I did. Her efforts on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) inspired me to similarly devote my life to our shared mission.
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My mother believed relentlessly in the power of friendship and without her, Best Buddies would not exist. She made Best Buddies what it is today, and helped create a society that learned to include individuals with disabilities who offer more gifts to us than we can ever imagine or repay.
I am thankful for my mother’s love, leadership, and faith in our cause and her lasting impact on the disability rights movement, which created the foundation for a more inclusive society for individuals with special abilities.
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Today, we celebrate the incredibly passionate and loving mothers who have been blessed with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I always tell people that the mothers within our movement are the real heroes. Mothers like Nina Greene, a member of our South Florida Advisory Board and passionate advocate for people with IDD. I hope you are inspired by her incredible testimony and example of a mother's genuine love.
Happy Mother's Day!
In friendship,
Anthony K. Shriver
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Best Buddies International
Words from Nina Greene, mother of Best Buddies participant Randy:
“What has given me the most joy as a mother is seeing just how similar Randy’s life and problems are to any other 25-year-old’s life. And, this is because Randy is living his most independent life with the good and the not so good. The life he lives today—having attended college and now living and working independently—was not a life I allowed myself to dream about for him. But, he did. He wanted these things, and he constantly pushed for them on his path to independence. Randy never gave up. To see him now living independently as a kind and caring man, with his sense of determination and happiness, makes me beam with pride and joy. My life is filled with love because I am Randy’s mom.
I think of how, before Best Buddies, Randy’s social life was essentially my social life and my friends were basically his only friends. Nobody should grow up feeling that way. Once he joined Best Buddies in high school, things changed for Randy.
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He started to have a social life. He suddenly was sitting at lunch with his new friends that he met in Best Buddies. And, then, he started to go to football and baseball games at the high school with his friends in Best Buddies. I began to have to wait up for him to get home at night on the weekends because now he was out with his friends. He had so many plans that it was hard to keep up.
As a mom, my biggest concern for Randy in high school and after was that he would feel alone.
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I think that isolation is a large concern when you are the parent of someone with an IDD. Best Buddies helps to ensure that does not happen. As a mom, there is comfort knowing that Randy has friends and that, even in times of great isolation like now, the friendships Randy made in Best Buddies remain and those friends are there to help each other through good times and bad.
It is difficult to find the proper words to explain the happiness I feel when I look at Randy’s accomplishments. So, I can simply say that I am grateful and blessed to watch Randy live his most independent life in the way he chooses to live it.”
When asked if there is anything that she has always wanted to tell Randy but never have, Nina, replied:
"Randy, you make me proud and happy every day that I am your mom. Thank you for being a wonderful, kind and loving son and person."
Words from Randy, Best Buddies participant:
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"My mother and I like helping people and volunteering with organizations that are important to us. That makes us feel good. We are also both very determined when we set our minds on getting a job done.
I hope I am a lot like my mom, because she is pretty awesome, and I love being with her. But, one way I know we can be different is that my mom is very serious…a lot of the time. I am not so serious, and I try to figure out what the next fun thing is that I can do.
I love traveling with my mom and hope to be able to do that again when the virus goes away and life gets easier. My mom and I like to go to new places together like Italy, Ireland, and England.
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We go somewhere special together every year. It is my favorite time of year with her! I also love going to Broadway musicals with my mom. We get to see great shows, music, and singers. I love all the shows, and I get to talk to my mom about all of the shows that we see together. It is so much fun. But mostly I like traveling and going to shows with my mom because I get to be with her, and that makes me feel special and loved."
"Mom, I love you because you are smart, kind, you make our house safe and loving, and I am a better person because you are my mom."
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