Every year in May, millions worldwide pause to honor the love, labor and legacy of mothers. It is one of the busiest times of the year for flower and card shops and chocolate stores, as people buy these items for their moms, celebrating their ongoing love and sacrifice for their family.
In elementary school, we would make cards for our moms as Mother’s Day approached. I remember cutting out pink cardboard paper into heart shapes, decorating them with white paper doilies, and writing sweet little notes.
My mother kept those cards for years, carefully tucked away like treasures. I can still remember the joy on her face when I handed her my handmade creation.
Now that my mother has passed, I no longer get to celebrate with her. However, as a mother myself, I’ve come to appreciate this day in a new light.
It is more than cards, flowers and gifts. It is a time to remember, pause, reflect and share love and gratitude—not only for our mothers but all the women who nurtured us, supported us, and helped us reach our dreams.
Mother’s Day can be traced to the 19th century, before it became commercialized. One of its earliest champions was Ann Reeves Jarvis, an activist who organized “Mother’s Work Day” in the 1850s to teach mothers how to better cook, clean and prevent disease. Her own tragic story of losing seven of her eleven children before adulthood made her realize the need for education on public health.
At that time, people didn’t quite understand germs and how diseases are spread. During the Civil War, Jarvis extended her mission to peacebuilding and helping the wounded soldiers on both the Union and Confederate sides.
When she died, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, carried on the work. Anna envisioned a formal holiday that would honor not only her mother’s work but the everyday sacrifices and strength of all mothers.
She lobbied for a special day to appreciate and celebrate mothers. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Although the U.S. version of Mother’s Day is just over a century old, honoring mothers is a universal tradition across cultures. Ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated motherhood through various festivals that honored their mother goddesses, Rhea and Cybele. These spring festivals included parades and feasts to appreciate mothers as givers of life.
In the United Kingdom, “Mothering Sunday” began as a religious return to one’s “mother church” during Lent, but it later became a celebration of mothers. In Korea, we don’t separate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Instead, we celebrate Parents’ Day on May 8th to honor them both.
These diverse expressions of maternal celebration reflect a global recognition of the essential role mothers play—not just in raising children, but also in shaping and influencing communities and societies. Mother’s Day reminds us to honor all mothers—birth mothers, adoptive mothers, stepmothers, chosen mothers, grandmothers and all mother figures who have walked with and cared for us. It’s also a chance to uplift and support those who face systemic barriers: single mothers, working mothers, immigrant mothers and mothers of color.
Mother’s Day should be more than just sentiment. It should be a catalyst for justice and change. It invites us to advocate for parental leave, accessible childcare, affordable healthcare and economic justice.
These are the real ways we honor the work of mothers. Motherhood is labor, often invisible and undervalued, yet it is the backbone of our families and our society. When we honor our mothers, we also uplift the values they taught us: kindness, love, sharing, generosity, wisdom and hope.
We must build a world where caregivers are seen, valued and supported, not only in word, but also in action and policy. May it be a day of connection, gratitude, and the ongoing work of justice.
When we honor mothers, we are shaping and envisioning a more compassionate, just and equitable future, just as Ann Jarvis tried to achieve by helping mothers and working for peace. Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere.
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