A Mother's Work Is Never Done: A Note on Mother's Day Part I

A Mother's Work is Never Finished

As we approach Mother's Day 2025, I thought it would be fun to step back and take a quick look at the origins of this heartwarming tradition. 

In the 1850s by a woman named Ann Reeves Jarvis conceived of a special club of likeminded women, mostly mothers, who could come together and tackle everyday problems that plagued their communities. Rather than celebrating their own motherhood with gifts and flowers, these women rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

But they did it together.

The 19th century had its share of problems with diseases, such as typhoid and diphtheria, as well as a lack of access to medical care and good hygiene (mostly due to questionable sanitation). Mature women taught young women their shortcuts and gave them the benefit of their experience. They instructed them on how to get clean drinking water in their homes and how to keep a cleaner house. They even helped inspect milk for safety and took stock of which families needed food assistance. 

War Makes Mothers of Us All

During the Civil War, the clubs stayed active but shifted gears. These organized groups helped both Union and Confederate soldiers, which was a big deal because it demonstrated their focus was on compassion and healing, rather than political gain.

In a way, these clubs were an early version of public health work, led by women who saw caring for others as a moral and civic responsibility. That same spirit—of mothers working to make their communities better—is what eventually inspired the creation of Mother's Day itself. 

In fact, it was Jarvis's own daughter who campaigned to make Mother's Day a celebration of the real world work that mothers do every day, not only in their own home, but also in the community at large. 

Moral of the story: be kind to your mom. 


A Mother's Work Is Never Done: A Note on Mother's Day Part II is coming soon!

Learn more about Ann Reeves Jarvis here