This weekend is Mother’s Day, the day we celebrate our mothers, motherhood, and overall the journey of becoming a parent. This might be a tricky time for you or someone you know because real-life relationships are often bumpy instead of smooth, but you’re in luck – this is a library blog! So I come bearing gifts, celebrating moms in literature and film with the added absolute bonus of links to click to check them out!
Lorelai Gilmore
Lorelai always puts Rory first. She is independent, coffee-loving, and endlessly supportive of her daughter’s goals. She doesn’t let it slide when Rory messes up, either, proving she is a great mom because she knows when to be her daughter’s friend and when to be her mother.
Jennifer Honey
She might not have started the story as Matilda’s mother, but the story ends with her becoming Matilda’s adoptive mother. Like her name implies, she is sweet and nurturing and she is the one to notice Matilda’s intellect. She fosters Matilda’s growth, just as any good mom does.
Aunt May
Aunt May has had many many iterations over the years, from being the sweet but sickly old lady that Peter takes care of, to the spunky independent version embodied by Marisa Tomei. Along all her versions, though, she has always been a source of strength for Peter, supporting and loving him through his journey to become Spider-Man and beyond, proving that you don’t have to be the biological mother to be a mother.
Queen Elinor
All right, sure, you can make the case that maybe this isn’t a mom that should be on the list because the crux of story in Brave is that she is trying to make Merida do something she doesn’t want to do. I would argue that she belongs on this list because she is doing it because she loves her daughter and thinks it is best for her AND because by the end of the story she listens to Merida. A good parent-child relationship is all about listening and growing together, after all.
Linda Belcher
Is Linda perfect? Probably not. But she loves and supports her kids through everything, listens intently when they re-told the endings to movies, and creates an atmosphere of fun and warmth in her home. And beyond all that, she is really funny, too!
What are some great moms in literature and film? Let me know in the comments below! And be sure to have a happy Mother's Day, no matter what that looks like for you.
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