32+ Best Quotes by Women On Motherhood

From the whimsical to the wise, these quotes on motherhood come from some of the most famous women in history. Learn from the wisdom of Anne Frank and the wit and whimsy of humorist Erma Bombeck in these quotes on the joys and trials of motherhood from the perspective of mothers and daughters.

Unconditional Love

“There is nothing as powerful as a mother’s love for her child.” – Agatha Christie
“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” – Agatha Christie
“Motherhood was the great equalizer for me; I started to identify with everybody.” – Annie Lennox
“It’s the curse of motherhood. You’re required to love us even when we vex you.” – Julia Quinn, “The Duke and I”

Strength and Resilience

“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” – Linda Wooten
“The heart of a mother is a bottomless pit, it will always find love for her child.” – Mary Teresa
“A warrior believes in an end she can’t see and fights for it. A warrior never gives up. A warrior fights for those weaker than herself. It sounds like motherhood to me.” – Kristin Hannah
“Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” – Barbara Kingsolver
“Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary — it’s an act of infinite optimism.” – Gilda Radner
“Motherhood is a Sisyphean task. You finish sewing one seam shut, and another rips open. I have come to believe that this life I’m wearing will never really fit.” – Jodi Picoult

Sacrifices and Growth

“There is no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill
“Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else’s happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you’re not sure what the right thing is … and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” – Donna Ball
“(24/7) once you sign on to be a mother, that’s the only shift they offer.” – Jodi Picoult
“The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness.” – Jessica Lange
“Motherhood has relaxed me in many ways. You learn to deal with crisis. I’ve become a juggler, I suppose. It’s all a big circus, and nobody who knows me believes I can manage, but sometimes I do.” – Jane Seymour
“Becoming a mother has made me next-level confident. I’ve never felt more empowered.” – Kelly Clarkson
“Family is everything. Family comes first. It’s not what I expected it to be, but nothing ever is.” – Madonna

The Unbreakable Bond

“A mother’s love is the fuel that allows a normal human being to do the impossible.” – Marion C. Garretty
“This is motherhood for you,’ said my own mother. ‘Going through life with your heart outside your body.’” – Jennifer Weiner
“I’m blessed and I couldn’t be more grateful. Do you want to know why? Because I’m a mother, but that’s only half of it. I’m blessed because, when I need to, I can still just be a daughter. I get the feeling that there is nothing more precious than to have both of these roles, simultaneously.” – Adrianna Stepiano

Letting Go and Growth Together

“When mothers talk about the depression of the empty nest, they’re not mourning the passing of all those wet towels on the floor, or the music that numbs your teeth, or even the bottle of capless shampoo dribbling down the shower drain. They’re upset because they’ve gone from supervisor of a child’s life to a spectator. It’s like being the vice president of the United States.” – Erma Bombeck
“Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have.” – Joan Ryan
“It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.” – Erma Bombeck
“Accept the children the way we accept trees- with gratitude, because they are a blessing- but do not have expectations or desires. You don’t expect trees to change, you love them as they are.” – Isabel Allende
“Ever since my daughter was born I feel the fleetingness of time. And I don’t want to waste it on getting the perfect lip color.” – Madonna

Parenting and Individuality

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” – Anne Frank
“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.” – Anne Frank
“Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own.” – Marguerite Kelly
“Obviously, my tastes and my priorities have changed, Just because I’m a mother doesn’t mean I’m not still a rebel and that I don’t want to go in the face of convention and challenge the system. I never wanted to think in a robotic way, and I don’t want my children to think that way, either. I think parents should be constantly questioning society.” – Madonna

There’s no experience in the world quite like motherhood, and no relationship like mother and daughter. These quotes may not quite explain it to those who haven’t been there, but the mothers who read them will understand.