Celebrating Motherhood in Pictures
Here are some of our favorite photos recognizing moms of all kinds submitted by readers over the last nine years
![20120513-giraffe-631-header.jpg](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/7U7QYdOwprC9hnc-mdGwHr7kb5U=/1000x750/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-giraffe-631-header.jpg)
20120513-momandtwins-631
![Mom and twins](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/xRY-7XCaynle_lYFhxdsx-tsMRo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-momandtwins-631.jpg)
Chrissy Astbury, Albuquerque, New Mexico
June 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico
20120513-moraccon-631
![Moroccan Mother](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/lXj-pSoWy8FjjpLhKUAd220HzvY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-moraccon-631.jpg)
Eric Guarino, Chefchaouen, Morocco
March 2010 Chefchaouen, Morocco
20120513-surprise-631
![Suprised](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/uhqVBk7-Gu6XH83lcuUueNxZwGM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-surprise-631.jpg)
Joydeep Mukherjee
Sonepur, Bihar, India
November 2010
20120513-motherandcub-631
![Mother and cub](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/m31sTRhsEdC0XqvhMoVx2pl4VZo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-motherandcub-631.jpg)
Marc Abrahms, Masai Mara, Kenya
September 2009
20120513-babyblue-631
![A mother and son in southern Sudan](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/ytJo8sWFrYfUPfnl9R1H9NdoRys=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-babyblue-631.jpg)
Christopher Farber, Juba, southern Sudan
April 2007
20120513-giraffe-631
![giraffe](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/-EuLLnjKuV20-Up5iiyIoOwNL2c=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-giraffe-631.jpg)
Mark Rosenbaum, Chicago, Illinois
January 2007
20120513-pregnant-631
![mother to be](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/B5OyOMDkpARc3rYC-nT8ObV9ByM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-pregnant-631.jpg)
Robert Tannenbaum, Baldwin, New York
January 2009
20120513-motherandson-631
![Young farmer and his mother](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/cavnWmwKfP5SDSAhe91DDcTpgus=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-motherandson-631.jpg)
Budi Prakasa, Serpong, West Java, Indonesia
May 2009
20120513-Grandmother-631w
![grandmother](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/avh9he9hlzxtpPolzUMTVD1l7sA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-Grandmother-631w.jpg)
Henry Ascencio, Teopantlan, Mexico
December 2010
20120513-basket-631
![basket](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/HrcYiJ91pF40q1HBx4EJRJXW1vw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-basket-631.jpg)
Zaw Zaw Tun, Yangon, Myanmar
October 2010
20120513-elephant-631
![elephants](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/axyDkXw6n1Pbfo9s3TLWnTCHFJI=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-elephant-631.jpg)
Sachin Shah, Masai Mara, Kenya
October 2008
20120513-bird-631
![Mother's Love](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/GZBnSbreAY0YTa85lwxNg6cPjMA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-bird-631.jpg)
Ho Sung Wee, Banting, Malaysia
May 2010
20120513-pacifier-631
![mother and daughter](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/-f8jPfHRzKxADTshPW4jeamkb5g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-pacifier-631.jpg)
Sydney Ledwith-Jensen, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
August 2009
20120513-turkishmother-631
![A turkish mother](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/IoWOV1NEwNVd-7flXyxb8kyYzRE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-turkishmother-631.jpg)
John Bice, Ankara, Turkey
August 2008
20120513-monkey-631
![monkey](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/9b7PgUNtYHVs55yYoE1ab5XsN7g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-monkey-631.jpg)
Shyamal Das, West Bengal, India
July 2007
20120513-villagewomen-613
![Village women](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/Oc3Pu9DrNKQ0IcOIo0Cr8EBEtr0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-villagewomen-613.jpg)
Abhijit Dey, West Bengal, India
November 2009
20120513-bobcat-631
![bobcat kitten](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/NQV3EGRf-7Mve-KHS3eshSAZvsg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-bobcat-631.jpg)
Tim Foltz, Irvine, California
June 2009
20120513-vietnamesebaby-631
![woman and baby in Vietnam](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/_-WcIzLmWHKdnt8uLalhXm2R6-E=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/20120513-vietnamesebaby-631.jpg)
Stephen Bures,Ta Van Village, Vietnam
November 2011