Happy Mother's Day from our CEO, Melissa Eamer

My interest in longevity and how people age really started as a way to make sense of my mother’s journey. I wanted to understand why her health declined so rapidly after she turned 50 and what, if anything, I could have done differently to help her realize a different outcome. Without her in my life, Mother’s Day is always a bit bittersweet for me. I have two amazing daughters that I’m incredibly proud of, but the woman who taught me what it means to be a mother never had a chance to meet them.

As the mother of two teenagers, I have come to realize that being a mom means going from being seen as the one who can fix everything and knows all, to the one who is hopelessly clueless. (Although I am still the one who can find any lost item, which I take some solace in.) At some point when they are older I know my girls will come to realize (as I have) that moms are just people doing the very best they can, thrown into one of the hardest jobs in the world with pretty much zero training. We pour our hearts into the job, make mistakes, and have many sleepless nights, all in an effort to help our children become strong, resilient and happy people. (Actually, writing this now I realize it sounds a lot like starting a company…) And hopefully along the way, we teach them what we can about life.

Some of the most important lessons my mother taught me while she was alive are: that learning is a lifelong pursuit; that my gender should never stand in the way of my aspirations; and that grit is as essential as intellect. What she taught me in her absence is that our most constrained and precious resource is the time we have with those we love.

Modern Age is also my baby and there are many things I hope to accomplish by building it: to honor my mother’s memory and the lessons she taught me; to ensure a different outcome for my own life so that my girls don’t experience the loss that I did; and to share everything we learn and know with all of you. If I am able to give you more healthy years to share with those you love, it’s also a legacy I will be proud of.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow moms out there doing your best for those you love. I wish for you not just a special day today, but a future filled with many healthy and special days to come.