"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." -unknown

No one knows who said that, but it rings more true than not. Around the world, there's one thing that unites women more than any other: raising children.

Whether away at work, staying at home or straddling the gray area in between, we all experience similar struggles, joys and ... the gray area in between. So it is with eagerness and anticipation that moms look forward to one day a year where cooking is optional and gifts abound.

There was a point when Mother's Day was less about brunches and hanging baskets, as it has drastically morphed from the intention of its founder.

The founder of Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day" in 1912. She placed the singular, possessive apostrophe in "Mother's" to emphasize that the day should be specific to each mother and not in a plural form, commemorating all mothers worldwide. (Wikipedia)

The modern holiday was first celebrated in 1907 and as it gained momentum in popularity, became a commercial holiday. Hardly a fan of greeting cards, which she chastised as a lazy effort, Jarvis spent her inheritance and the rest of her life fighting what she created, even so much so as to be arrested for disturbing the peace in a Mother's Day protest in 1948. (Wikipedia)

You can read more on the history of Mother's Day here.

Regardless of the commercial component to Mother's Day, it's a great time to reflect on all the women who put in the time to be mothers.  It's not an easy job.

Enjoy some perspective about our moms, and impress the ladies in your life with your appreciation. (Happyworker.com)

• It's possible that motherhood makes women smarter.
• 4.3 babies are born each second worldwide.
• A baby has an estimated 7,300 diapers changed by age 2.
• Eighty-eight percent of laundry is done by moms.
• Moms take approximately 2 min. 45 sec to change a diaper vs. dads 1 min. 36 sec.
• Preschoolers require moms attention once every 4 min. Which pans out to 210 times a day.
• The cost of raising a child to age 18 for middle-income families is over $240,000 -- not including college.