“My mom has made it possible for me to be who I am. Our family is everything. Her greatest skill was encouraging me to find my own person and own independence.”

“You know, I don't think any mother aims to be a single mom. I didn't wish for that, but it happened.”

“I grew up in South Africa and I would look at maps and we were at the bottom of the world. There was this whole thing up there. I was always reading encyclopedias about the world. So travel was something I was always attracted to.”

“I think today women are very scared to celebrate themselves, because then they just get labeled.”

“My mom has made it possible for me to be who I am. Our family is everything. Her greatest skill was encouraging me to find my own person and own independence.”

“Marriage equality is about more than just marriage. It's about something greater. It's about acceptance.”

“I can only hope to be 10 percent of the mom mine was to me. She encouraged me to be confident and enjoy life. That's what I want for my son.”