THE MOTHER NATURE

THE FAMILY GROOVE’S PROFILE OF A MOM WHO’S MAKING IT HAPPEN

If you looked for a through-line, a connection between all the moms we've profiled over the years,
you'd find that all the women we've Q&A-ed share an unbridled dedication to living the best life
possible—as well as a firm understanding of their role in creating that life.

It's really a remarkable thing. It is the final stage of feminism. Women are finally free not just from
society's patriarchal shackles but from the other, more deep-seated restraints that have persisted
since the time of the suffragettes: our own self-imposed limitations. We finally see that we can be
all that we want to be as wives, mothers, friends, sisters, daughters and workers by taking ownership of our lives to design ones that are uniquely ours, outside of the antiquated definitions of the aforementioned roles.

These little keyhole peeks into the day-to-day lives of our Mother Nature moms have unveiled the modern woman in all of her perfect, flawed, together, confused, striving, achieving, struggling, up-and-down, in-and-out, exhilarated and exasperated glory—a revelation that exposes, we think, the best that human nature has to offer.

We are, and we hope we'll always be, works in progress with big ideas and big goals and an ever-modulating map that will (eventually) take us where we divine to go. The you-are-here aspect of women today is fascinating. The fact that we can be so honest about our strengths and our weaknesses, about who we are in this very moment, and that we can show up to stake our claim, to make our fortune, to fight the good fight with gusto, passion, smarts, drive and a yogurt-stained sweater, chipped nail polish, not enough makeup and wearing socks we pulled out of the hamper is nothing short of brilliant.

And that leads us to Rana DiOrio.

She's got gusto and passion and big-picture thinking to spare. She's also got three kids under 6 and her own publishing company. Oh yeah, and she really just wants to make the world a better place. How she can want for anything beyond eight hours of uninterrupted sleep stopped us cold in our tracks and reminded us to keep on keepin' on—and we hope her answers below might just do the same for you.

1. Who are you?
Rana DiOrio

2. How old are you?
43 years young

3. Where do you live?
Belvedere, Calif.

4. How many children do you have? How old?
Ryan Francesca, 6; Alexandra Catherina, 4 and a half; and Beckett Nazareno, 15 months

5. What time do you get up?
Between 5:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m.

6. What daily rituals must you do to feel normal?
Drink tea and eat breakfast with my children, usually with my laptop open

7. What do you wish you'd do every day, but haven't been able to incorporate into your routine?
Yoga

8. Do you work?
Yes, a lot. I love my work.

9. What do you do?
I am the founder and chief executive (Pickle) of Little Pickle Press LLC.

10. Tell us about it.
Little Pickle Press (www.littlepicklepress.com) is a 21st-century publisher of high-quality, high-impact media for children. Our mission is to help parents and educators cultivate conscious, responsible little people by inspiring our readers to help children in need, celebrate diversity and protect the environment. Ten percent of the purchase price of our first series of books is donated to Starlight Children’s Foundation (www.starlight.org).

11. What's the best thing your mother ever told you?
Education is the key to whatever you want to do.

12. What does being a good mother mean?
I think it means listening attentively, establishing and consistently maintaining boundaries, allowing your children to make their own choices, loving tenderly and laughing often.

13. What's your mantra/personal philosophy?
(1) Embrace change, as it is the only constant in life; (2) be a giver, as giving wholeheartedly is the best way to receive; (3) love deeply, because doing so will bring you the most happiness and fulfillment; (4) go for it, because nothing ventured, nothing gained; and (5) have an attitude of gratitude.

14. What do you tell other mothers?
I usually don’t “tell”; I listen. Mothers are wise and resourceful, and I learn from them all the time. If asked, however, I would say that children are more aware and knowing than we give them credit for, so take the time to engage in meaningful dialogues with them about topics that matter.

15. Finish this sentence: I want my children to know…
… who they are and how to be conscious, responsible little people.

16. Who inspires you?
In no particular order, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, Harper Lee, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates.

17. What are you passionate about?
Making the world a better place.

18. How do you balance your life as a woman, a mother, a friend?
I invest just enough time to take care of myself so that I can be all that I can be to those who love and need me.

19. What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
The importance of living in and appreciating the moment.

20. How do you get into your groove?
I think positive thoughts, and then I allow great things to happen.