Sunday, May 10th, 2020
Happy Mother’s Day!!
We asked the Pattern team, “What does your mother mean to you?”
“My Mom, was known to my friends as Mrs. D. They loved her. My father was on the road for three and out four weeks each month and for most of my childhood, she raised me. She was my moral compass. She died four months before I married my wife Paula. 26 years ago. The perfect hand off. Not a day goes by without me wondering what she would think. From raising my kids to this Pandemic. She would have had something to say. Some insight. Miss you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day.”
– Jonathan Drapkin, President & CEO
“When asked to write a paragraph about what my mom means to me, I realized I only needed one word…EVERYTHING!”
Robin DeGroat, Vice President of Operations & Executive Assistant to the President
“One of the biggest influences in my life has been my Mother, Pauline. It is impossible to write a single paragraph, especially for me, to describe what my mother means to me. Therefore, I thought I would just use a few words. My mother is kind, compassionate, thoughtful, loving, determined, a little stubborn, extraordinarily generous, extremely hard working, practical, creative, cannot say no, lives a simple life, unpretentious, a peacemaker, welcoming, matter of fact, intelligent, beautiful, reserved at times, strong, and just simply the best mom. She is always a comfort to me, tells me what I need to hear, pulls no punches, and has “no time for nonsense”.”
– Joe Czajka, Senior Vice President for Research, Development, & Community Planning
“I admire my mother for so many reasons but what stands out for me this Mother’s Day is her optimism. Seeing the negativity of this world is easy. It takes discipline, strength and a nuanced perspective to see the bright side of things, and to do so day in and day out. My mother is informed and is aware of what is wrong with the world, she doesn’t ignore the facts. Despite this she is almost consistently upbeat, forward thinking, thoughtfully hopeful, and solutions oriented. I look to her as a model for how to live in this world, enjoy one’s time here, and leave it a little better than before.”
– Kate Stryker, Research Planner
“As best as I can remember, my mom never sat me down and taught me a lesson about how to be kind, creative, hardworking, and humble – she didn’t have to, because she was showing me. She had a long commute to her job as the Director of Global Competitive Intelligence for Merck (yes I’m bragging here), and still always had time for me and my sister at the end of the day. As I recently wrote in her Mother’s Day card, the list of things I have to thank her for is far too long to write down.”
– Eric Pierson, Senior Research Planner
“My mom was an amazing hostess, with beautiful table settings and homemade meals. She was the artist behind holiday cookie baking and birthday cakes. She’d correct my grammar mid-sentence and ask me why an A on my report card wasn’t an A+. She was a Registered Nurse, who talked openly about human nature. She served as a Home Health Aid for Hospice and brought joy to the patients she tenderly cared for as their health declined. She was calm in an emergency, patient and attentive when you felt ill… she’d leave you with a little silver bell so you could ring for her whenever you needed her. She passed away in 2014 after her own healthcare battle with ALS. She’ll always be the voice in my head, constantly pushing me to do better, to learn more, to be a great hostess, and to create cherished memories with my own children.”
– Michelle Pfeffer, Vice President for Marketing & Communication
