In honor of Mother’s Day, Client Services Director Florine Herendeen shares some thoughts...

As I watched my oldest son graduate from college last weekend, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. It reminded me what I did right and where I made mistakes over the years. I’ll never forget when my son asked me if I liked being a mom. He was probably 12 years old at the time. My initial thought was, ‘How couldn’t you know?’ Then I told him the truth: becoming a mom was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on mom — being a mom, the moms around you, and of course, your own mom. After giving it some thought, I realized that having the opportunity to travel and share this world with my kids has been one of my greatest joys as a mother. It has taught them to better understand the world, and to be more compassionate and less judgmental of others who are different from them. It has educated them more than textbooks or decades of years at school ever could.

Travel has also strengthened my relationship with my kids. We have faced fears, overcome challenges, and celebrated triumphs that we would otherwise have never experienced together. These special moments have brought us so much closer as a family.

So, on this Mother’s Day, I want to take a moment to thank my kids for being the best travel and “life” companions I could have ever been blessed with. And finally, thank you to all the wonderful women and mothers I’ve had the pleasure of traveling with over the years. You are my inspiration.