[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 19 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Page 685]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 The President's Radio Address

 May 10, 2008

     Good morning. Today is my daughter Jenna's wedding day. This is a 
joyous occasion for our family as we celebrate the happy life ahead of 
her and her husband, Henry. It's also a special time for Laura who, this 
Mother's Day weekend, will watch a young woman we raised together walk 
down the aisle.
     Mother's Day is a special time for mothers all across America. On 
this holiday, we pause to celebrate the love and compassion of the women 
who have raised us and to thank them for the many years of patience and 
selflessness. Throughout our lives, mothers are there with an 
encouraging word, a sympathetic ear, and a tender heart. They set our 
direction in life, and from time to time, they have been known to 
correct our course.
     Like many of you, my life has been blessed by a mother who is a 
source of unconditional love. Those of us who have been so fortunate are 
forever in debt to these caring women. So on this holiday weekend, we 
celebrate all those mothers who help make our country a better place.
     On this Mother's Day weekend, we think of the mothers who are 
celebrating this holiday for the very first time. Few blessings can 
compare to starting a new family, and few bonds are stronger than those 
between a mother and her newborn baby. This is also a special time for 
new adoptive mothers, who have welcomed their children into their homes 
with open arms and an open heart. We wish all these new parents many 
happy Mother's Days to come.
     On this Mother's Day weekend, we think of the many mothers who 
raised the brave men and women serving our country in uniform. And to 
those mothers, I offer the thanks of a grateful nation. Your sons and 
daughters are defending our freedom with dignity and honor. And America 
appreciates the sacrifices that your families make in the name of duty.
     On this Mother's Day weekend, we remember the mothers grieving a 
son or daughter lost in the service to their country as well as the 
children who have lost a mother in uniform. We share their pride in 
these wonderful Americans who have given everything to protect our 
people from harm. Nothing we say can ever make up for their loss. But on 
this special day, we hold them in our hearts, and we lift them in our 
prayers.
     I wish every mother listening this morning a blessed Mother's Day, 
including my own. And I have a message for every son and daughter 
listening this morning: Remember to tell mom, the first thing tomorrow, 
how much you love her.
     Thank you for listening.

  Note:  The address was recorded at 7:20 a.m. on May 8 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 10. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 9 but was embargoed for release until 6 a.m. on May 10. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.