Every year since 1914, the second Sunday of May is highlighted on the calendars. Why? Because it is Mother’s Day, a single day to compensate for all the missed phone calls, birthdays, and the underappreciation that a mother receives all her life.
And then suddenly, this day becomes filled with flowers, phone calls, handwritten cards, and fancy dinners with just the mom. But deep down, everyone knows that they are just compensating for not saying ‘thank you’ enough, for not spending time with their mothers, for ignoring their efforts and sacrifices, and much more.
But as time passes and generations change, Mother’s Day has become more than a date or a tradition. More and more people are now aiming to make it a day of a simple, powerful pause for the mothers, trying to rid them of the ‘duties’ of the household, at least for the day. And Mother’s Day is now a reminder to look closely at the woman who shaped us, raised us, stood by us, and still does all of that without a word of worry.
The history of Mother’s Day
The story of modern Mother’s Day began in the United States, not as a celebration but as a deeply personal and social occasion.
After the American Civil War, a woman named Ann Reeves Jarvis, a peace activist, organised ‘Mother’s Day Work Clubs’ to promote health and hygiene among poor families. These clubs also worked to bring unity between mothers from opposing sides of the war. And after Ann’s death, her daughter Anna Jarvis was inspired to continue her mother’s legacy. But her focus was more emotional than social, and she wanted a day to honour the sacrifices mothers make for their children.
And so in 1908, Anna held the first official Mother’s Day service at a church and chose the second Sunday in May.
Soon after, the then President of the United States declared the second Sunday of May a national holiday and the day to celebrate Mother’s Day.
The silent work mothers do
One thing everyone must remember while ‘celebrating’ Mother’s Day is that the one day appreciation, show of love, and the likes, is not what most Mothers want. What they need are equal distribution of work, appreciation for the sacrifices they did, and once the children grow up, a supporting hand.
Because a mother’s love stays the same through a child’s life. Just like children and mothers grow in age, so does a mother’s love. This love shows up in quiet ways, be it packing your lunch before you wake up, noticing you’re low without asking too many questions, staying up late when you are studying for an exam the next day, and much more.
What to gift your mother this Mother’s Day
If you too are scrolling through endless lists about the perfect gifts for your mom, and are tired of the glasses, bottles, sippers, cups, watches, and more, try giving her your love and time!
Sure, gifts are thoughtful and lovely, but what most mothers are looking for are not grand surprises, but just our time.
Something as simple as a handmade card is enough to delight her for days, and as fancy as a watch is what she will hold on to for life.
And if you are wondering about the perfect quote to start and end your Mother’s Day card with, here we mention 15 quotes by famous authors about mothers, their love, their time, their sacrifice, their nature, and much more.
“When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” —Charley Benetto
“Mother is the heartbeat in the home; and without her, there seems to be no heartthrob.” —Leroy Brownlow
“Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” —Susan Gale
“My Mother: She is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her. ” —Jodi Picoult
“Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.” —William Makepeace Thackeray
“The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” —James E. Faust
“It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?” —Mahatma Gandhi
“There is no role in life that is more essential than that of motherhood.” —Elder M. Russell Ballard
“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
“Motherhood is the exquisite inconvenience of being another person’s everything.” —Unknown
“Only mothers can think of the future because they give birth to it in their children.” —Maxim Grosky
“My mother was my role model before I even knew what that word was.” —Lisa Leslie
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” —Maya Angelou
“Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary – it’s an act of infinite optimism.” —Gilda Radner
“A mother’s happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories.” —Honore de Balzac
And then suddenly, this day becomes filled with flowers, phone calls, handwritten cards, and fancy dinners with just the mom. But deep down, everyone knows that they are just compensating for not saying ‘thank you’ enough, for not spending time with their mothers, for ignoring their efforts and sacrifices, and much more.
But as time passes and generations change, Mother’s Day has become more than a date or a tradition. More and more people are now aiming to make it a day of a simple, powerful pause for the mothers, trying to rid them of the ‘duties’ of the household, at least for the day. And Mother’s Day is now a reminder to look closely at the woman who shaped us, raised us, stood by us, and still does all of that without a word of worry.
The history of Mother’s Day
The story of modern Mother’s Day began in the United States, not as a celebration but as a deeply personal and social occasion.
After the American Civil War, a woman named Ann Reeves Jarvis, a peace activist, organised ‘Mother’s Day Work Clubs’ to promote health and hygiene among poor families. These clubs also worked to bring unity between mothers from opposing sides of the war. And after Ann’s death, her daughter Anna Jarvis was inspired to continue her mother’s legacy. But her focus was more emotional than social, and she wanted a day to honour the sacrifices mothers make for their children.
And so in 1908, Anna held the first official Mother’s Day service at a church and chose the second Sunday in May.
Soon after, the then President of the United States declared the second Sunday of May a national holiday and the day to celebrate Mother’s Day.
The silent work mothers do
One thing everyone must remember while ‘celebrating’ Mother’s Day is that the one day appreciation, show of love, and the likes, is not what most Mothers want. What they need are equal distribution of work, appreciation for the sacrifices they did, and once the children grow up, a supporting hand.
Because a mother’s love stays the same through a child’s life. Just like children and mothers grow in age, so does a mother’s love. This love shows up in quiet ways, be it packing your lunch before you wake up, noticing you’re low without asking too many questions, staying up late when you are studying for an exam the next day, and much more.
What to gift your mother this Mother’s Day
If you too are scrolling through endless lists about the perfect gifts for your mom, and are tired of the glasses, bottles, sippers, cups, watches, and more, try giving her your love and time!
Sure, gifts are thoughtful and lovely, but what most mothers are looking for are not grand surprises, but just our time.
Something as simple as a handmade card is enough to delight her for days, and as fancy as a watch is what she will hold on to for life.
And if you are wondering about the perfect quote to start and end your Mother’s Day card with, here we mention 15 quotes by famous authors about mothers, their love, their time, their sacrifice, their nature, and much more.
“When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” —Charley Benetto
“Mother is the heartbeat in the home; and without her, there seems to be no heartthrob.” —Leroy Brownlow
“Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” —Susan Gale
“My Mother: She is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her. ” —Jodi Picoult
“Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.” —William Makepeace Thackeray
“The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” —James E. Faust
“It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?” —Mahatma Gandhi
“There is no role in life that is more essential than that of motherhood.” —Elder M. Russell Ballard
“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
“Motherhood is the exquisite inconvenience of being another person’s everything.” —Unknown
“Only mothers can think of the future because they give birth to it in their children.” —Maxim Grosky
“My mother was my role model before I even knew what that word was.” —Lisa Leslie
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” —Maya Angelou
“Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary – it’s an act of infinite optimism.” —Gilda Radner
“A mother’s happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories.” —Honore de Balzac
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