My mother had a profound impact on shaping the person I am today. She was my guiding light, my source of strength, and my unwavering support. Her love knew no bounds, and I am endlessly grateful for the countless sacrifices she made to ensure my happiness and well-being. I still think of her every day and miss her so much…after almost 20 years since her passing.
-Nancy Strohmer, Community Volunteer, Philanthropist
As I prepare to embrace motherhood in just a few days, I find myself reflecting on just how incredibly lucky I am to have Juliet Breeze as my mom. For those who know her, it’s clear she’s not just one of the hardest working people out there; she’s also profoundly selfless, constantly striving to improve the lives of others. This extends beyond her business ventures into her significant involvement in various charities. She often serves on boards or finds unique ways to contribute, like, most recently, walking over 100,000 steps in one day while taking work meetings to raise funds for cancer research. It always brings a smile to my face when people learn who my mom is and exclaim, “Gosh, I don’t know how she does it all.” She is unquestionably special.
And yet, somehow, even with all of her business ventures and extracurriculars, my siblings and I grew up without a doubt in our minds that we are the center of her world. She loves boldly and always carves out time to listen to our stories, share lunches, or even travel—by car or plane—to wherever we are in the world for one-on-one time.
My daughter, Maeve Juliet, who I hope will be a few weeks old by the time this newsletter is published, could not have a better namesake than her Mimi; And, as I navigate the path of motherhood myself, I couldn’t ask for a better role model than my mom.
– Alexis Smith, Vice President of Human Resources, Next Level Urgent Care
As we approach Mother’s Day, it is an honor to reflect upon the impact my mom, Judy Evans Meaux, has had on who I am and the life I’ve been able to pursue. She endured numerous challenges when I was very young, becoming a single mom to me, and my older sister Christy, but my goodness did we have fun! I can still remember singing in the car to Anne Murray and George Strait, playing games and watching Dallas and Dynasty anytime they were on (we HAD to be home on Friday nights!) When I was embarking on a path to intentionally become a single mom myself, I had no doubt I could do it, and do it well, because she had paved the way before me. She gave us every opportunity to explore the things that interested us, from sports (short-lived), to dance, to Girl Scouts, to learning new instruments. When we’d finally settle in on something, she jumped in with both feet too – becoming not only a Girl Scout leader, but being part of the leadership in our area; becoming not only a band parent, but leading the band booster club; becoming not only an Aggie Mom, but agreeing to be Vice President at her very first meeting. She never did anything small – always elevating her participation and having the biggest impact she could for my sister and I, but also the community around us. And the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree…
One of the best quotes on impact came from Squire Bill Widener (although often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt) when he said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” And professionally my mom lived that out in her career as she ascended the ranks as support personnel at many Oil and Gas firms in Houston. She was always sought out for advice and knew how to make things happen, and as we all know, people like that are invaluable to an organization! My mom of course encouraged my education and career path, celebrating with me every step of the way, but yet again, she had paved the way with her work ethic and determined attitude. As a parent, I think we always want more for our children, but as a child, I want nothing more to make sure my mom knows that I saw her sacrifice, her dedication, her tenacity, and above all, her LOVE that has enabled all of my wildest dreams, and then some, to come true. She made a mark, created a legacy, and may it live on each day through me as I strive to do the same for my children.
-Reneé Meaux, Director of National Business Development, nrg