“A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world.”
Anna Jarvis (founder of Mother's Day)
Mother's Day HistoryHandwritten Cards
Mother's Day Quotes
70 FAMOUS QUOTES · MOTHER'S DAY
Mother's Day Quotes
Read 70 of the best Mother's Day quotes and wishes, from Anna Jarvis, Kahlil Gibran and Mitch Albom to heartfelt messages for Mom, your wife, grandmothers and mothers-in-law.
“A public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”
Woodrow Wilson (Mother's Day Proclamation, 1914)
Mother's Day HistoryReverence
“Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts!”
Julia Ward Howe (Mother's Day Proclamation, 1870)
Mother's Day HistoryWomen
“Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.”
William Makepeace Thackeray
ChildrenDevotion
“Many make the household, but only one the home.”
James Russell Lowell
HomeMothers
“O that those lips had language! Life has passed with me but roughly since I heard thee last.”
William Cowper
Missing MomPoetry
“The mother at home quietly placing the dishes on the supper-table; the mother with mild words.”
Walt Whitman
HomeGentleness
“And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
The Bible (Genesis 3:20)
MothersFaith
“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.”
The Bible (John 16:21)
MotherhoodJoy
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.”
The Bible (Proverbs 31:20)
KindnessGenerosity
“Behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.”
Mitch Albom
StoriesRoots
“The mother is everything: she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness.”
Kahlil Gibran
ComfortStrength
“The mother is the one supreme asset of national life.”
Theodore Roosevelt
NationRespect
“Mothers are the bank where we deposit all our hurts and worries.”
Sophia Loren
ComfortTrust
“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.”
Mildred B. Vermont
MotherhoodLove
“A mother understands what a child does not say.”
Jewish Proverb
UnderstandingChildren
“Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.”
Welsh Proverb
GrandmothersLove
“Today the whole world celebrates mothers, but I celebrate you every single day. Happy Mother's Day!”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesLove
“Mom, no gift could ever repay you, so here's my love, my thanks and a day off from the kitchen.”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesFunny
“Happy Mother's Day to the woman who taught me my first prayer and my first song.”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesChildhood
“This Mother's Day, I'm writing my card by hand, just like you taught me to write my first letters.”
WebFunFacts Team
Handwritten CardsGratitude
“Happy Mother's Day to the one who still worries if I've eaten, no matter how old I am.”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesCare
“For every sleepless night, every sacrifice and every warm hug, thank you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesSacrifice
“Mom, you are proof that angels don't always have wings. Happy Mother's Day!”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesAngels
“Happy Mother's Day to the woman who believed in me before I could walk.”
WebFunFacts Team
Mother's Day MessagesBelief
Related Topics
About Mother's Day Quotes
Mother's Day is a special day to thank the women who raised us, guided us and loved us without conditions. It began in the United States in the early 1900s, when Anna Jarvis campaigned for a day to honour her own mother and all mothers. Today it's celebrated in India and many other countries on the second Sunday of May, with flowers, cards, family meals and heartfelt words.
This collection brings together 70 of the best Mother's Day quotes. It starts with classic words from Anna Jarvis, William Makepeace Thackeray, James Russell Lowell and the Bible, continues with quotes from Kahlil Gibran, Mitch Albom and Sophia Loren, and ends with original WebFunFacts Mother's Day messages for Mom, your wife, grandmothers, mothers-in-law and every mother figure. For more about mothers, explore our [Mom Quotes](/topics/mom-quotes).
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Mother's Day quotes.
When is Mother's Day?
In India, the United States and many other countries, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday in March.
Who started Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis started the modern Mother's Day in 1908 to honour her own mother. In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed it a national day of "love and reverence for the mothers of our country."
Did Anna Jarvis like Mother's Day cards?
No. She disliked printed cards, saying they meant "you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world." A handwritten note is still the most meaningful gift.
What should I write in a Mother's Day card?
Share a specific memory or thank-you. A simple line like "Mom, every good thing in me started with you" followed by a personal story makes a card unforgettable.
What is a good Mother's Day message for my mother-in-law?
Try "Happy Mother's Day to the woman who raised the love of my life," or "Thank you for welcoming me into your family like your own child."
What is a good short Mother's Day quote?
Try the Jewish proverb "A mother understands what a child does not say," or Mitch Albom's "Behind all your stories is always your mother's story."