In the US, we celebrate Mother’s Day the second Sunday of May. This year, it had me thinking about the history behind the holiday — and how its meaning has evolved over time.
In the United States, Anna Jarvis is credited with establishing Mother’s Day as a day of peace and as a way to honor the sacrifices, care, and unseen labor of mothers. Ironically, later in life she became frustrated by how commercialized the holiday had become, believing it had drifted away from its deeper intention: genuine gratitude and human connection.
And perhaps that deeper intention is larger than biology alone.
Mothering is not limited to giving birth.
It is an energy, a practice, and often a quiet daily offering.
- Some women mother children.
- Some mother ideas, communities, friendships, students, clients, animals, or aging parents.
- Some hold space for healing.
- Some nurture through teaching, leadership, caregiving, listening, creativity, or advocacy.
- Some women are learning how to mother themselves after years of self-abandonment.
On a day like yesterday, I find myself thinking about the many forms of nurturing that shape our lives — often without recognition.
- The women who check in.
- The women who guide.
- The women who create safety.
- The women who remind others of their worth.
- The women who continue showing up, even when exhausted.
In many ways, all women carry the capacity to mother something into growth.
And perhaps Mother’s Day can also be a moment to honor the broader human act of nurturing — the steady, often invisible work of helping life flourish around us.
To all who nurture, guide, protect, teach, create, support, and care:
I hope you felt seen this weekend.