Mother's Day can be a bittersweet time for many of us, especially if we have a complicated or strained relationship with our mothers. While the day is meant to celebrate the maternal figures in our lives, the reality is that not everyone has a picture-perfect relationship with their mom.

There is no one right way to mother or to experience motherhood, and all of the loving ways we show up in care for our loved ones are valid.

So here is a love note to the people who mother —in all their glory and fallibility— in honor of their humanity and often overlooked contributions to this world.