On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the love, sacrifice, and strength of mothers everywhere. On this special day, I want to introduce you to a Dutch mother of twelve, Emilie Michiels van Kessenich, whose extraordinary compassion forever linked two nations in shared grief and enduring gratitude.

On Monday, May 5, I had the great honor to speak about freedom and the heartwarming and inspirational demonstration of gratitude by the Dutch in creating a unique grave adoption program, which continues to honor their American liberators 80 years later. 

In my new book, I introduce you to remarkable individuals whose lives are forever linked through courage, sacrifice, and gratitude.

Freedom Concert at The Netherlands Carillon in Washington, D.C. on May 5. Admission is free. Register now!

Since then, thousands of Dutch families have honored that promise. But only a small percentage have ever been able to connect with the American families of the soldiers they so lovingly honor. Today, through the Forever Promise Project, we have the opportunity to change that.

As we count down the days to the release of Remember Us to be published, I had the privilege of visiting the Netherlands American Cemetery.