It might not always be true, but it’s as close to reality as you can get on Mother’s Day: everybody loves their mother. For far too long, my customized ringtone for my own mom was Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.”
That song is an anthem for all of us who didn’t always heed our mothers’ sage advice. Let's face it: no matter how many times you thank the woman who does it all, once a year just doesn’t cut it.
Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated days of the year, and rightfully so. Mothers occupy a unique space in our hearts. The bond between a mother and her child is unbreakable, akin to the kind of connection Jeremiah wrote about when he said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
Moms love us even before we take our first breath. It’s a love that transcends explanation, stirring the deepest emotions within us. Their feelings run deep; they protect us fiercely, knowing that the tiny human they cradle will grow up far too quickly. A mother’s love is perhaps the closest most of us will ever get to experiencing divine love.
I occasionally find myself envious of my wife. Our children call her to share stories about their lives, their careers, and my grandchildren. I get the secondhand version, and while I’m grateful for it, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out. It’s just part of her role as Mom. I was just as guilty with my own mother, revealing secrets and thoughts I’d never share with Dad. It’s a normal dynamic.
There are those moments when only a mother’s love can provide comfort. She has this uncanny ability to alleviate our worries, often knowing exactly what to say. As writer David Kessler puts it, “Mothers are the strongest and first connection we make in life.” That bond is seldom, if ever, broken.
Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist and author, speaks to this sixth sense that mothers possess. She argues that this connection—genetic, emotional, and forged through nine months of carrying us—gives mothers a unique intuition. It’s not just biological moms either; adopted mothers can feel this connection on a soul level. This is a testament to the sacrifices mothers make, filled with tears, toil, and tireless love.
We could never set aside enough days to honor the women who shape and inspire our lives daily. So, this Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate not just our mothers, but also the wives, daughters, aunts, sisters, grandmothers, and all the remarkable women who touch our lives.
Some Great Quotes about Mothers:
- “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” — Author Unknown
- “A mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend.” — Amit Kalantri
- “A mother’s arms are made of tenderness, and children sleep soundly in them.” — Victor Hugo
- “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” — Robert Browning
- “The heart of a mother is a chasm at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.” — Honoré de Balzac
- “To describe my mother would be to write a book about a hurricane in its perfect power.” — Maya Angelou
- “I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.” — E.M. Forster
- “Mothers are the shapers of destiny, cooperators with God, sculptors of young lives.” — Elisabeth Elliot
- “A mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.” — Erich Fromm
- “We didn’t have ‘urgent care.’ We had Mercurochrome, a Band-Aid, and a mother who said, ‘You’ll live.’ And you did.”
- “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” — Milton Berle
- “Mother is a verb, not a noun.” — Proverb
Mothers shape us through love, sacrifice, laughter, and those little life lessons that stick with us forever. So, here’s to the incredible women in our lives. Happy Mother’s Day!
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JC Bowman is the Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee