Many of these women have been moms.
A mom who hasnt met the President or been interviewed by Oprah.
We want to celebrate a game-changing mom who the world doesnt know aboutyet.
All photos courtesy of DuPree Walker
Introducing Lynda Limon, Glamours 2024 Your Mom of the Year.
She just gives fearless.
Shes not afraid of challenges, of trying new things, of exploring life, says Walker, 25.
Courtesy of DuPree Walker
Shes going to go out, shes going to do it, shes going to get what she wants.
And its really inspiring to see.
This was impossible for Walker and her sister, Lucero, 24, to miss.
Courtesy of DuPree Walker
I dont know how she does it.
Its so much more than a case to me.
Its peoples lives and more importantly, peoples children, Limon tellsGlamour.
Courtesy of DuPree Walker
Limon is also an active mentor in the legal community.
My mom does not give herself enough credit, Walker says.
But its not all about the resume, Walker says.
Ultimately, she wanted to honor her mom for the sense of warmth and safety Limon created at home.
Everything we needed, she knew what to do, she knew how to address it.
I never felt judged by her, Walker says.
Shes always known what were capable of and when we havent reached that potential.
If you put in the work, the goals that you want to achieve will come to fruition.
She sounds like exactly the punch in of mom I hope Im becoming.
Im dying to meet her.
Limon and I speak after shes finished day six of a trial.
I don’t come from an educated family, Limon says.
My grandfather had a second-grade education and spoke very broken English.
It was the parents of her then-boyfriend who opened her mind to the idea of getting a college degree.
His parents were very educated.
When I graduated from high school they had quit their jobs and decided to go back to law school.
I thought Wow, this could be something, she says.
I just fell in love with getting educated, Limon says.
I realized education is a door to confidence, especially as a woman.
In law school, Limon studied business law and clerked for the ACLU.
Before she knew it, shed been hired to clerk for two judges who presided over family law cases.
Within three years, shed opened her own family law practice.
When they come in, theyre a mess.
Their world is coming aparttheir partner, their children, all the assets theyve worked hard for.
There are a handful of cases that stand out in her memory.
And Ill never forget, she looked at me and she said, Lynda, is that all?
And I said, That’s all.
We don’t need to do anything else.
And she said, Can I go now?
A few days later, Limon was in the middle of a half marathon when her phone rang.
I knew it was [my clients] daughter.
I think that is what she does with her clients.
Just really makes them feel comfortable and heard.
She leads with empathy.
The same applies to how Limon mothers, Walker says.
When I ask Limon why this is so important to her, she pauses before answering.
What other way is there to lead?
Isnt that the only answer?
I mean, yeah.
Really, why wouldnt you?
[Parenting] absolutely takes a village, says Limon.
Everythings just a little bit bigger.
It was never anything complexjust navigating the normal parenting of children is a lot.
Especially when you add two people working full-time.
[My mom taught me] theres always time to make time for yourself, Walker says.
Where else do you put the stress of your job?
It has to go somewhere, Limon says.
When Im running or doing a triathlon, that stress goesout.
If Im doing a hike, Im dumping all that mental stuff at the top of the mountain.
Limons coping mechanism for the stress also ended up becoming one of her most important parenting lessons.
Im not the fastest, let me tell you.
Girls that are raised with confidence, become confident women, says Limon.
That was vitally important for her and husband in raising women who are Black and Mexican.
Triathlons do that for you.
You cross that finish line and you go, Damn, you know what I just did?
None of these lessons are a coincidenceintentionality is central to Limons identity as a mom.
We wanted to provide the girls with as many tools as we could.
Girls that are raised with confidence, become confident women.
What does it really mean to be a mother?
Motherhood isnt a legal status or a biological state or a political identity.
Maybe to mother is simply to lead with empathy.
To care for the needs of others.
To make those you interact with feel safe, supported, and capable.
Its this connection you have with other human beings.
Thats what it means to mother.
I think part of my identity as a mother is just caring about people, Limon says.
But you dont have to be a mother to do that.
Embrace it all because it really does happen fast, she says.
And it really is an honor to be able to raise other human beings.
