My mom, Chris, is an extraordinary woman. As I celebrate her on Mother’s Day, I am overwhelmed thinking about the positive influence she’s had on my life. She’s given me the strength to develop into the person I am today and to face any challenges life may hold. Even though I’m 27 years old, my mom is still my biggest cheerleader, supporter and source of confidence.

While I was growing up, my mom juggled many demands, but never dropped the ball. Regardless of what challenges the world threw at our family, my mom confidently navigated the rough waters with poise and grace. Through it all—five [challenging] kids, a tough recession, the death of family members, health issues, complicated adoptions and so much more—she remained strong and focused. She and my dad made sure we had a supportive and loving household, regardless of what challenges our family faced. She taught her children to be independent, determined, humble, benevolent, kind and hardworking. She gave us all the confidence to push ourselves past the constraints of our environment and to be the best version of ourselves. She never wavered as our family’s rock.

A few months ago, someone brought up the idea of initiating my mom as an alumna member of Kappa Delta. She has been an enthusiastic and selfless supporter of the fraternal community for almost 30 years. She’s supported my father’s long term tenure as a national fraternity volunteer and staff member and the fraternal experience of three of her children. She donated of her time, talents and treasures because of her honest and true belief in the value of the fraternal community.

When I posed the question of KD membership to her, she expressed an enthusiastic desire to join the sorority, but immediately became nervous. She didn’t think she was worthy of the honor of initiation or that the request would be approved. She wasn’t sure if she could be of any value to the organization or if the other members would welcome her into the circle. I was in shock! I had never seen my mom with so much self-doubt. I knew she’d be an incredible addition to Kappa Delta and would be welcomed with open arms, but she didn’t have enough faith in herself to see what I saw. For the first time in my whole life, I saw a true lack of confidence in my mom. I was so perplexed: How could she have survived the storms of her past and have so much self-doubt about this?

I learned a lot during the weeks leading up to her initiation. Even the most confident women in our lives—even our mothers—sometimes need reassurance and support. It is easy to take for granted those who walk tall through life, but even the strongest women in the world need encouragement. It is our responsibility as daughters, friends and mentees to lift up those around us, even those who give us the strength to get through the day.

I am excited for my mom to begin her journey as a Kappa Delta. She raised three daughters to think for themselves, to stand up for what they believe in, to look out for those in need and to take the world by storm. In our household, it was reinforced daily that we could accomplish anything we put our minds to. She gave us the wings we needed to leave the nest, and we were encouraged set our goals high. I look forward to my mom sharing this brand of love and confidence with the KD women around the country.  Even the strongest women need to be reminded that the world is theirs to seize and anything is possible.

Claire Stuckel
Chapter Housing Manager