The Forever Promise One Mother Made

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.

Emilie Michiels van Kessenich

In 1946, Emilie left her home and family in the Netherlands and traveled across the United States on a mission of mercy. She visited parents, siblings, and young war widows of fallen American soldiers who gave their lives to restore freedom to her homeland. Emilie had helped launch a local movement to adopt every grave in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, where over 10,000 young Americans now rest. But it wasn’t enough for her to honor them from afar—she wanted to reach their families and assure them—promise them—“Leave your boys with us; we will watch over them like our own, forever.” Her story is among those at the heart of Remember Us.

Norma Louise Morse Edsel

That quiet strength of motherhood reminds me of my own mom, Norma Louise Morse Edsel, who passed away in 2020 after 89 remarkable years. She raised three children, doted on eight grandchildren, and welcomed five great-grandchildren into the world. In joy and in hardship, she never stopped giving. Her love had no pretense, no conditions—it simply was. And like Emilie, she taught by example: with grace, grit, humor, and unwavering purpose.

To all the mothers who make miracles every day—thank you. Whether you're in the thick of raising little ones or cheering on grown children from the sidelines, your love shapes their world.

And to those for whom this day brings sorrow instead of celebration—to those missing their mothers—I offer my deepest sympathies. I know what it feels like to miss your mom every day, and a little more so on this one.