Jean Biden's Influence on her Son

As the News Journal reports, Catherine Eugenia Biden, mother of Vice President Joe Biden has died.
All politicians talk about the importance of family values, but Joe Biden sounds like really means it. He wears his devotion to his family on his sleeve. He spoke of her influence on his life in his speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008:

I wish that my dad was here tonight, but I am so grateful that my mom, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, is here. You know, she taught her children — all the children who flocked to our house — that you are defined by your sense of honor, and you are redeemed by your loyalty. She believes bravery lives in every heart, and her expectation is that it will be summoned.
Failure at some point in everyone's life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable. As a child I stuttered, and she lovingly told me it was because I was so bright I couldn't get the thoughts out quickly enough. When I was not as well-dressed as others, she told me how handsome she thought I was. When I got knocked down by guys bigger than me, she sent me back out and demanded that I bloody their nose so I could walk down that street the next day.
After the accident, she told me, "Joey, God sends no cross you cannot bear." And when I triumphed, she was quick to remind me it was because of others.
My mother's creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. You are everyone's equal, and everyone is equal to you.
My parents taught us to live our faith, and treasure our family. We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone can make it if they try.

Transcript via NPR.