Mary Marcdante
Mother-Daughter Relationship Expert
Contact: Megan Ferington or Frank Cirillo, 216.252.4938
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Cleveland, Ohio (April 207) - Noted author and inspirational speaker Mary Marcdante believes mothers and daughters share a powerful and complex bond that can be enriched and nurtured through honest and open communication and shared activities. Marcdante wrote a definitive book on the subject entitled, My Mother, My Friend.
In her research for the book, Marcdante interviewed 400 mothers and daughters in a quest to provide women with the skills, confidence and knowledge to deepen their mother-daughter relationships. Her research revealed that of all the feedback women receive in their many roles in life, “appreciation” is the one-quality moms crave most from their families.
“Ideally, mothers and daughters should make it a point to express appreciation for each other every time they connect -- through words, actions and just spending time together,” Marcdante said. “So often, women don’t fully realize how important this relationship is to both of them until the daughter becomes a mother herself, or one of the two experiences a major turning point like a divorce, a job relocation or a health issue.”
The author speaks from experience. For her, it was the diagnosis of her mother’s ovarian cancer that drew the two closer together and increased their mutual awareness of the special bond they shared. “From the moment I learned of the diagnosis until my Mom’s death, I felt like I was in graduate school, cramming the night before finals for a course called: ‘Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Your Mother and Forgot to Ask,’” Marcdante said. “This experience prompted me to write my book and reach out to other daughters to help them build their relationships with their mothers.”
Marcdante said Mother’s Day provides daughters with a perfect opportunity to build on their relationships with their mothers, and that often cards are a great way to break the ice. “Cards can really help out, because often, they express words that are in our hearts but we may have trouble communicating,” Marcdante said. “They provide a very tangible way to let mothers know just how much they mean to us. Ultimately, the gift of time and acceptance of each other -- flaws as well as strengths - is the most meaningful gift mothers and daughters can give each other on Mother’s Day.”
In addition to My Mother, My Friend, Marcdante also has written Living with Enthusiasm and Inspiring Words for Inspiring People. A resident of San Diego, California, she is a contributing author to five Chicken Soup books and A Woman’s Way To Success in Business, and a contributing relationship expert on www.iVillage.com. She has spoken to over 250,000 people and presented more than 1,500 speeches, seminars and workshops worldwide. More information is available on her Web site at www.marymarcdante.com.