Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver with brothers Mark (left) and Tim

Mark Shriver and Paul Rosengard, group president of Perry Ellis

Gert Boyle, Deborah Walters and Trudy Sullivan

Maria Shriver, Kathy Deggendorfer and Tim Shriver

Kathy Deggendorfer, Gert Boyle, Mary and Tim Boyle

OUTSTANDING MOTHER AWARDS
What Does It Take
To Be A Mother?

Story and Photos by Tim Boxer

M

ARIA SHRIVER, 53, says motherhood is something that terrified her. She asked hr mother, "How did you raise five kids who talk to each other?" Her mother said, "The most important thing you will ever do is to be a mother."

"I always say mothers work 24/7 on the front lines of humanity," Maria said. "It’s a job that should be honored on a daily basis."

Maria and four other worthy persons were honored at the 31st annual outstanding Mother Awards luncheon at the Pierre Hotel in New York, sponsored by the National Mother’s Day Committee.

The event benefited Save the Children, a program that addresses the needs of poverty stricken children, run by Maria’s brother, Mark Shriver.

Gert Boyle, chairwoman of Columbia Sportswear, accepted her Mother’s Day award and remarked, "I was a good mother for the first 20 years – but cooking was not a strong point."

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC and The Joe Scarborough Show on ABC radio, recalled the day, three years ago, when she was fired from CBS. She told her children, "Good news. I’m going to be with you more." Their reaction: "Oh, no, you can’t do that!"

When Trudy Sullivan, president and CEO of The Talbots, Inc., told her daughters she’s going to get an award as outstanding mother, they asked, "How can you accept without consulting us first?"

Deborah Walters, senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Saks Fifth Avenue, also was honored. She remarked, "It has been said motherhood is the biggest on-the-job training program."