35 Happy Mother's Day Quotes To Celebrate The Holiday

If you’re trying to describe a mother’s love and having a hard time finding the words, no one will blame you. Thankfully, there are poets, authors, and celebrities for that. There are thousands of Mother’s Day quotes to choose from, whether you’re paying tribute to your mom, grandma, auntie, partner, sister, mother-in-law, or friend this Mother’s Day.

If you’re more of the traditional card type, any of these messages would be perfect scrawled inside. Or, if you’re more the social media savvy celebrator, they’d make great Instagram captions, too. Take a minute to think about whether the mom in question likes their holidays with a side of humor, is a little more heartfelt, or is still expecting. Then browse this list of Mother’s Day quotes for the perfect fit.

Funny Mother’s Day Quotes

If you or the mom you’re celebrating love to laugh, then any of these quotes or sayings are perfect. Not only do they capture motherhood perfectly, but they keep it lighthearted and funny. (And sometimes you have to laugh so you won’t cry, right?)

• “No one told me I would be coming home in diapers, too.” — Chrissy Teigen
• “Like all parents, my husband and I just do the best we can, hold our breath, and hope we’ve set aside enough money to pay for our kids’ therapy.” — Michelle Pfeiffer
• “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?" — Milton Berle
• “When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' It is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.” — Erma Bombeck
• “I always say if you aren’t yelling at your kids, you’re not spending enough time with them.” — Reese Witherspoon
• “Children are a great comfort in your old age — and they help you reach it faster, too.” — Lionel Kauffman

Sentimental Quotes For Mother’s Day

Raise your hand if your mom’s a crier (*raises hand*). If your loved one relishes every note and kind word, choosing a quote that really explains how you feel will mean the world.

• “My mother is so full of joy and life. I am her child. And that is better than being the child of anyone else in the world.” — Maya Angelou
• “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” — Rudyard Kipling
• “My Mother: She is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her.” — Jodi Picoult
• “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
• “A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” — Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• “A mother is the one who fills your heart in the first place.” — Amy Tan
• "Life began with waking up and loving my mother's face." — George Eliot
• "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." — Abraham Lincoln
• “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” — Robert Browning

Mother’s Day Quotes For Your Partner

Wondering what to add to that blank card or post under that sweet pic of your baby and their mama? Your partner will love any words of appreciation you share, including these.

• “Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” — Susan Gale
• “I can imagine no heroism greater than motherhood.” — Lance Conrad
• “Ma-ma does everything for the baby, who responds by saying Da-da first.” — Mignon McLaughlin

Quotes For Your First Mother’s Day

First of all, congratulations! Be sure to celebrate yourself today and take time to reflect on what your motherhood journey has been like so far. Then, post that fire selfie with a saying honoring the amazing mama you are today.

• “Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers... strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” — Barbara Katz Rothman
• “There’s really something empowering about going, ‘Hell, I can do this! I can do this all!’ That’s the wonderful thing about mothers. You can because you must, and you just do.” — Kate Winslet
• “Motherhood changes everything.” — Adriana Trigiani
• “Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy.” — Tina Fey
• “A mother continues to labor long after the baby is born.” — Lisa Jo Baker
• “Just as there is no warning for childbirth, there is no preparation for the sight of a first child. There should be a song for women to sing at this moment, or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because there are no words strong enough to name that moment.” — Anita Diamant
• “A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.” — Amy Tan
• “Giving birth and being born brings us into the essence of creation, where the human spirit is courageous and bold and the body, a miracle of wisdom.” — Harriette Hartigan
• “A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart till the day you die.” — Mary Mason

Mother’s Day Quotes About Pregnancy

Pregnant on Mother’s Day? If your bundle of joy won’t arrive in time for the holiday, that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the fun. Think about all the ways you’re gearing up for parenting and get excited for your future.

• “A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring inside; when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.” — Unknown
• “It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into.” — Terri Guillemets
• “Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” — Carrie Fisher
• “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” — Elizabeth Stone
• “We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.” — Laura Stavoe Harm
• “You never understand life until it grows inside of you.” — Sandra C. Kassis
• “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” — Elizabeth Stone
• “Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have.” — Robin Lim

Whether you’re contemplating sweet things to write for a Mother’s Day card or an Instagram post, these Mother’s Day quotes are an easy and meaningful option. Pick your favorite and add a personal note telling them how much you appreciate them to make the mom in your life feel extra special.