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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Single mothers have played an important role in |
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Texas throughout the history of the Lone Star State and continue to |
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be a dynamic force in society; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1807, when Elizabeth Paxton Houston was left a |
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widow with nine children, she moved her brood west from Virginia to |
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a new home in Tennessee; the fifth son of this stalwart pioneer |
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woman, Sam Houston, became a Texas hero as a victor in battle, the |
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first president of the republic, and governor of the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Many prominent Texans have been raised by single |
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mothers; the multifaceted country music star and businessman Jimmy |
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Dean dedicated his autobiography and the hit song "I.O.U." to his |
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mother, Ruth Taylor Dean, whom he called "the toughest lady I've |
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ever known"; she supported her family as a barber and taught her |
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musical son to play piano; a more contemporary hit-maker, Norah |
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Jones, was raised by her mother, Susan, in the Dallas area; and |
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WHEREAS, News anchor Sam Donaldson, born after the death of |
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his father, was blessed with a strong, caring mother who taught him |
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to read and encouraged his interest in current events and higher |
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education; Chloe Donaldson ran the family's cotton and dairy farm |
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and drove her son 25 miles each way to and from school every day; and |
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WHEREAS, One of seven children, boxing great George Foreman |
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was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs, earning as little |
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as $26 a week; other successful Lone Star athletes brought up by |
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single mothers include Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and |
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Olympic medalist Sheryl Swoopes; Ms. Swoopes, who became a star of |
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the WNBA as a new single mother herself, shared her uplifting story |
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in the book Bounce Back; moreover, she created a foundation to |
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educate and empower young people; and |
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WHEREAS, The irrepressible Mary Kay Ash became a role model |
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for all women as the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics; married at 17, |
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she raised three children on her own after her marriage ended; she |
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quit her job as a national training director when her employer |
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promoted her assistant over her at a higher salary, and in 1963, she |
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sank $5,000 in savings into a venture that would become a |
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billion-dollar powerhouse; through her company, she helped |
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countless other women to follow their dreams; and |
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WHEREAS, For decades, researchers followed the conventional |
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wisdom that children from single-parent families are prone to |
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experience difficulties in later life; more recent studies, |
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however, have shown that the risk of a negative outcome correlates |
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more strongly with a lack of adequate socioeconomic resources than |
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with the absence of one parent; moreover, whether children are |
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raised by one or two parents, crucial factors include a harmonious |
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home environment and the quality of the relationship between parent |
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and child; and |
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WHEREAS, Mothers without partners juggle multiple roles and |
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responsibilities on a daily basis, but they meet their unique |
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challenges with selfless grace, wisdom, and love, demonstrating |
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strength that is an enduring legacy for their children and an |
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inspiration to all; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the single mothers of Texas and commend |
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them for their outstanding contributions. |