In the administration’s Mother’s Day message, released Thursday, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is also the acting governor, said “Mother’s Day is memorialized and celebrated each year to honor all mothers and to express our gratitude for the hardships they suffered silently as they tirelessly nurtured our growth and vigilantly molded our character to ensure that the quality of our lives exceeds theirs.”

He says mothers “are truly God’s greatest gifts to all of us” and “on this Mother’s Day, let us be sure to let our mothers know that their love and sacrifices made us the persons we are today.” (See yesterday’s Samoa News edition for the complete text of the Mother’s Day message.)

U.S. President Barack Obama says mothers are breadwinners, community leaders, and pillars of the family. “They pioneer scientific discoveries, serve with valor in our Armed Forces, and represent our Nation in the loftiest halls of Government,” he said in a proclamation released yesterday by the White House.

“Whether biological, adoptive, or foster, they play a singular role in our lives. Because they so often put everything above themselves, on Mother's Day, we put our moms first,” he said. “Working mothers increasingly provide the majority of their family's income, yet even now, discrimination prevents women from earning a living equal to their efforts.”

“My Administration is proud to fight alongside women as they push to close the gender pay gap, shatter glass ceilings, and implement workplace policies that do not force any parent to choose between their jobs and their kids. Because when women succeed, America succeeds,” Obama said. (Obama’s proclamation is posted on the White House website).