To the ones who raised, loved, challenged, and witnessed us. To the person who watched us take our first steps, or the figure we call in the middle of the night. Whether we’re united by blood or by choice, mothers and mothering make for rich fodder in our fiction, poetry, essays—in short, the stories of our lives. The pieces below pay tribute to mothers of every kind.
Yasmine Ameli
Bedtime Stories
Once, he advises Shah to consider how we turn for the sun.
Ellen Bass
Because What We Do Does Not Die
This is a praise song for the mother who sat down beside me.
Elizabeth Benedict
She Would Say
I love you to distraction, she would say.
Jane Bernstein
Rachel Occupies Wall Street
Both daughters love travel, music, shoes, salty snacks.
Hayan Charara
Mother and Daughter
I wanted to be a good mother, the mother says.
Lynn Freed
Ma: A Memoir
How long have I known you? my mother asked.
Farah Kader
Mama’s House
Preserving lemons like her mother before her.
Seong Eun Macfarlane
Origin of the World
Witness the birth of humankind in this graphic story.
Sindiwe Magona
Forced to Grow
The baby would be taken out the next day.
Lorrie Moore
How to Talk to Your Mother
Tell your mother you are in love with Elvis.
Naomi Shihab Nye
My Mom Serves Tea to Her Robbers
She remained lucid, except for this frolic, this boisterous tête-à-tête.