Words of Wisdom for Mother’s Day

From the archives · Originally published May 10, 2015. Journey dates, events, and travel information reflect the original publication.

Happy Mother’s Day! To honor the occasion, we’ve gathered together some quotes from famous and not-so-famous folks about moms. Here they are — some funny, some just keeping it real and telling it like it is. Hope you enjoy!

Keeping it real

A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.

~Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.

~Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and writer

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

~Tenneva Jordan

Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

~Anonymous

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.

~Stevie Wonder

Most mothers are instinctive philosophers.

~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.

~Marion C. Garretty

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.

~Mildred B. Vermont

The funny side of motherhood

Children are a great comfort in your old age — and they help you reach it faster, too.

~Lionel Kauffman

A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.

~Peter De Vries

It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge.

~Phyllis Diller

Women’s Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It’s the men who are discriminated against. They can’t bear children. And no one’s likely to do anything about that.

~Golda Meir

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.

~John Wilmot

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.

~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Children are a great comfort in your old age — and they help you reach it faster, too.

~Lionel Kauffman

The one thing children wear out faster than shoes is parents.

~John J. Plomp

Altruvistas wishes a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

Top Photo Credit: Jeff Greenwald