On motherhood, history, rest, and the women who believed care itself could change the world.
Without question, being a mother is the greatest privilege and most meaningful achievement of my life.
My son, August, is one of the kindest, funniest, smartest teenagers I know, and I love him beyond anything words could properly hold on a page.
I started Mother’s Day by calling my mum, who was just finishing hers in Sydney, Australia. We talked about her day, the week ahead, and the ordinary details that somehow become more precious as life moves along.
Then, tea in hand, I wandered into the garden while the rest of the house still slept.
As the sun slowly rose, messages arrived from close friends wishing me a beautiful Mother’s Day, and I returned the sentiment with gratitude. While gardening and watching the birds at the back of the yard, I realized something:
I had absolutely no idea about the history of Mother’s Day.
I love history.
Whenever our family discovers a new corner of the world, I’m the person swooping up local history books, downloading podcasts, and disappearing into research.
So, I started wondering:
Was Mother’s Day invented by a greeting card company?
As someone who owns a brand, honestly, that theory seemed entirely plausible.
But after a little digging, I discovered the story is far more complicated and far more human.
Mother’s Day in the United States emerged through repeated efforts by women who believed mothers could shape society for the better.
Some saw it as a call for peace and women’s involvement in public life. Others believed it should honor the work of mothers within the family and community.
The version we celebrate today is most closely connected to Ann Jarvis and her daughter, Anna Jarvis.
Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis lived in Appalachia during the 1800s and endured heartbreaking loss, with many of her nine children dying from diseases like measles and diphtheria.
In response, she devoted herself to improving sanitation and public health in her community, organizing “Mothers’ Work Clubs” where women worked together to care for families and improve living conditions.
Then came the Civil War.
Jarvis insisted the women’s groups care for both Confederate and Union soldiers alike. After the war, she organized a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to help reunite divided communities and encourage healing.
She believed mothers were uniquely capable of bringing people together in the pursuit of peace.
After Ann’s death, her daughter Anna worked tirelessly to establish a national Mother’s Day in her honor.
She envisioned it as a deeply personal and reflective day, one centered on handwritten letters, gratitude, and genuine appreciation.
Anna Jarvis around 1909.
My son August when he was younger amongst the Bluebells. An early morning shot of my mum and I in the garden, tea in hand.
Ironically, Anna Jarvis eventually grew to resent the very holiday she created.
She watched as Mother’s Day became increasingly commercialized by florists, advertisers, and greeting card companies. What she had intended as a meaningful “holy day” became, in her eyes, a commercial holiday. She even petitioned to have it removed from the calendar entirely.
Mother’s Day, at least for me, is less about gifts or perfection and more about pause.
A day for rest.
A day for gratitude.
A day to honor mothers, caregivers, nurturers, and all the quiet, often invisible work of caring for others.
A day to simply be human in the garden.
x Rebecca
The bird hotel my husband and son made one Mother’s Day in the garden in full bloom.
