Mothers Day 2026

A Mother’s Day for Peace

It’s no surprise that women and mothers lead the way in fighting for positive change for their families and communities. In fact, Mother’s Day was originally proposed by more than one enterprising woman. The holiday’s roots are activism and purpose—from cultivating peace to advocating for education and public health to acknowledging women’s priceless role in the hard work of 19th-century daily life.

Known as Mother Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis encouraged peace after the Civil War by promoting Mothers’ Friendship Day, a time to bring families from both sides together.

Heidi Stonehill writes in “The Forgotten History of Mother’s Day,” “…in what is called her ‘Mother’s Day Proclamation’ from 1870, Julia Ward Howe felt that mothers should gather to prevent the cruelty of war and the waste of life since mothers of mankind alone bear and know the cost.”

Jump to the 1970s Vietnam-war era, and I remember my mom wearing a distinctive pin engraved with a sunflower and the words “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” She joined the organization, Another Mother for Peace, and their first action was to send Mother’s Day cards to Congress with these words:

“For my Mother’s Day gift this year,

I don’t want candy or flowers.

I want an end to killing.

We who have given life

must be dedicated to preserving it.

Please talk peace.”

President Woodrow Wilson dedicated Mother’s Day “to the best mother in the world, your mother,” and all these years later, we celebrate mothers and mothering, biological or not. Even with all the hype and commercialism, Mother’s Day has a reverence to it, perhaps a reflection of the ideals that inspired it— and certainly inherent in this special time set aside to honor the mother who made us. —Hillary Black, Editor