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Though many segments of society might view mothers in the limited sense of those who have given birth or raised children, a broader definition of a mother can include any woman with a caring nature or who cares for others (think of Mother Teresa). And we can all, male and female, "mother" to some extent.
In honoring her mother, Anna Jarvis, the "mother" of Mother's Day, knew that she was honoring all women who have contributed to humanity in general and not just to a specific child. Anna Jarvis herself remained unmarried and childless. Yet, she did much to see that those who care for their children, for their families, and for us all as the human family, are honored.
There are all kinds of mothers. How many different kinds of mothers can you think of? Here's a quick list of noteworthy mothers to get you started:
Michelle Obama (mother of two girls, first African-American First Lady)
Barbara Bush (traditional mother of President
George W. Bush, former American First Lady)
Laura Bush (mother of twins, former American First Lady)
Virginia Cassidy Clinton (colorful mother of President
Bill Clinton)
Rose Kennedy (strong mother of President
John F. Kennedy)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (mother, lawyer, former American First Lady, former US Senator, Secretary of State)
Indira Gandhi (mother, first woman Prime Minister of India)
Margaret Thatcher (mother, first woman Prime Minister of Britain)
Carol Brady (fictional, ideal mom and stepmom)
Marion Cunningham (fictional, traditional mother)
Marge Simpson (cartoon mom with big hair)
Reese Witherspoon (young mom, actor)
Joan Lunden (older mom of two sets of twins, TV personality)
Tina Fey (funny 30 Rock mom, actor, comedian, writer, producer)
Beyoncé (super stylish singer mom)
Sofia Vergara (super sexy Modern Family mom)
Jennifer Lopez ("most beautiful" mom, singer, American Idol judge)
Madonna (pop singer mom, author, actor)
Cher (outrageous mom, singer, Academy Award-winning actor)
Sharon Osbourne (rocker mom, TV personality)
Celine Dion ("test tube" mom, music star)
Barbra Streisand (mother, singer, actor, director, producer)
Marie Osmond (biological and adoptive mother of a large family, singer)
Bobbi McCaughey (mother of sextuplets)
Anne Morrow Lindbergh (mother of 6, writer, wife of aviator Charles Lindbergh)
Whoopi Goldberg (mother, grandmother, actor, comedian)
Rosie O'Donnell (gay, adoptive mom, former talk show host, comedian)
Marlo Thomas (stepmother to Phil Donahue's children, actor)
Angelina Jolie (famous mom with an "international" family, actor)
Jodie Foster (single, biological mother, Academy Award-winning actor)
Gwyneth Paltrow (stylish mother, Academy Award-winning actor)
Julia Roberts (mother of twins, Academy Award-winning actor)
Teri Hatcher ("desperate" mom, actor)
Barbara Walters (adoptive mother, TV journalist)
Faith Popcorn (adoptive mom, futurist)
Lucille Ball (funny mom, TV star, business woman)
Chris Evert (athlete mom, three-time Wimbledon champ)
Florence Griffith Joyner (athlete mom, triple Olympic gold medallist)
Cindy Crawford (supermodel mom)
Marie Curie (mother, Nobel Prize-winning scientist)
Mother Teresa (caring "mother" to thousands, Nobel Peace Prize recipient)
Rosa Parks (the "Mother of Montgomery" who launched the civil rights movement)
Toni Morrison (mother, writer, first African American to win the Nobel Prize in literature)
Sandra Day O'Connor (mother, first woman appointed to the Supreme Court)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (mother, Supreme Court Justice)
Victoria Woodhull (mother, first woman to run for American President)
Wilma Mankiller (mother, first woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation)
Marian Wright Edelman (mother, lawyer, writer, and Founder of the Children's Defense Fund)
Mary Kay Ash (mother, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics)
"Mother" (Mary Harris) Jones (mother, labor leader)
Emma Willard (mother, pioneer in education who campaigned for higher education for women in math, science, and social studies)
Clara Barton (founder of the Red Cross and "mother" to thousands of wounded soldiers)
"Mother" (Clara McBride) Hale (mother, started Hale House in Harlem to care for infants born to drug-addicted mothers)
Candy Lightner (after her 13-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver, she founded MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
Joan Ganz Cooney (the "mother" of Sesame Street)
Grandma Moses (mother and grandmother, and a famous painter who started painting in her 70s)
Whistler's Mother (famous painting)
Your Mother (after all, where would you be without her?)
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