"My mother taught my sisters and me that in order to survive, you have to take care of yourself first so you can be strong and take care of your family. She fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, in 1975. She and my father left a life of privilege and arrived in San Francisco with nothing. They had three small daughters, all under the age of 10, and no prospect of work. My mother worked 18-hour days, holding down two part-time jobs, and saved money to help build the family's restaurant business. She also made a point to meditate every morning. She used to tell me, 'Once you let yourself go, you let go of your dignity.' I hear those words in my mind all the time. I have a different way of relaxing. I take time to get facials or massages. Sometimes I go for walks. But it's the same idea. You need to take time for yourself or you won't be any good to anyone else."
— Hannah An (back row, second from left), 38, on her mother, Helene An, 61 (bottom row, right)

“My mother always said, ‘Always send a thank-you note’. When I was a teenager, I drove her insane by refusing to write them. I'd be like, 'Mom, you are so uptight. No one cares.' Now I know people care."
— Melissa Bank, 42, author of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, on her mother, Joan Bank, 70, a retired volunteer coordinator in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania