Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2024 will occur on Sunday, May 11. 

The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.

These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.

Mothers have the power to shape us, guide us and alter our trajectory in life. Their love and support can make all the difference.

There’s no question that being a mom is a difficult job. It’s not a 9-to-5 situation. There’s no overtime pay. There are no vacation days, no 401(k) matching contributions and no benefits packages. There are, however, plenty of sleepless nights, mountains of laundry to fold, an endless list of things to worry about and lots of messes to clean up.

As any mother can tell you, the chance to love, shape, guide, protect and nurture a growing human is, quite literally, the opportunity of a lifetime. Raising a child stands apart as one of life’s biggest responsibilities and greatest rewards.

Each Mother’s Day, we joyfully celebrate the day, but we also know that every day should be an occasion to thank the women who raised us, encouraged us and loved us – often in spite of ourselves.