One thing that history teaches us is that truly phenomenal women have been inspiring the world since the beginning of time. And of those truly amazing women, mothers are exceptionally inspirational. Mothers are such pure sources of power, love, nurturing and care. And if you are blessed to have a mother that is truly great, all of these characteristics will be free flowing and unconditional. These beautiful souls teach us to be confident, compassionate and emotionally sound individuals. And throughout time, there have been some exceptional mothers who have gone above and beyond for their children, and to be mothers to their communities and the world. Check out these truly inspirational moms from throughout history.
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams was the second First Lady of the United States, and was the wife of President John Adams. While her husband was traveling, she raised their five children and even reared a future U.S. President, John Quincy Adams. Her son said of her: “My mother was an angel upon earth. She was a minister of blessing to all human beings within her sphere of action. Her heart was the abode of heavenly purity… She was the real personification of female virtue, of piety, of charity, of ever active and never intermitting benevolence.”
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was known for being the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize. While being an award-winning scientist, she was also a single mother. Her husband died in a tragic accident in 1906. So she was left to her own strength and determination to be a single mother to her two daughters, in a time when it was not common for women to stay and live alone. About her children, Marie Curie said, “That one must do some work seriously and must be independent and not merely amuse oneself in life — this our mother has told us always, but never that science was the only career worth following.”
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was an amazing woman who not only saved herself from slavery, but saved her baby daughter too. It was not soon after her escape that she caught word that her son was illegally sold in Alabama. She raised the money herself to hire a lawyer, and was able to get her son Peter out of slavery. This kind of victory for an African American at that time was unheard of and it ended up being a landmark case.
J.K. Rowling
While writing the first four Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling was juggling being a single mother as well. Because she was on hard times at some points during this time, she also received state benefits to make ends meet. She now is the president of Gingerbread, a company that helps single parents and their kids with resources and programs. She has said that she is proud of the time she spent as a single mother, more so than any other part of her life. “Today’s Mother’s Day in the UK. If your mum isn’t here to treat, do something nice for yourself, because she’s part of you. Take a hug, too,” she tweeted on Mother’s Day in 2016.
Waris Dirie
At the age of 5 years old, Waris Dirie was unfortunately the victim of female genital mutilation. After having an impending arranged marriage to a much older man, she ran away from home and landed in London. She went on to model and even appear in a James Bond film. She founded the organization Desert Flower, which is dedicated to the cause of women’s rights. She is a mother of four, and says of motherhood, “Every education begins with Mama. We have to rethink what we teach our sons. That’s the most important thing.”
Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi was India’s first female Prime Minister, and worked to make the country more economically conscious and self sufficient. She made an iconic statement: “Education is a liberating force, and in our age it is also a democratizing force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances.”
