Whether you’re the best of friends or complete opposites in every way, mothers and daughters have an unconditional bond which deeply connects them. There really is nothing quite like a mother-daughter relationship. That said, it can be difficult to find the right words to express a love so complex and profound. The following collection of mother-daughter quotes will help express your love on Mother's Day, a birthday, and year round for any occasion.
Whether you use them as a Mother's Day caption for Instagram to honor your relationship or a sentiment you write inside a Mother’s Day card, you’re bound to make your mom tear up when you use these quotes. Prepare to conjure up all the feelings! These loving sayings about mothers and daughters are the perfect way to say "I love you" when you can't find the words. (Looking for something funnier? Check out our list of Mother's Day puns and jokes.)
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1
Sophia Loren
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“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”
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2
Viola Davis
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“I tell my daughter every morning, ‘Now, what are the two most important parts of you?’ And she says, ‘My head and my heart.’”
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3
Princess Diana
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“A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.”
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4
Unknown
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“A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.”
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5
Erica Jong
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“My mother wanted me to be her wings, to fly as she never quite had the courage to do. I love her for that. I love the fact that she wanted to give birth to her own wings.”
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6
Taylor Swift
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"There were times when...I didn't have a lot of friends. But my mom was always my friend. Always."
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7
Maya Angelou
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"My mother shed her protective love down around me and without knowing why people sensed that I had value.
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8
Kristin Cashore
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"It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It is the mother's job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift."
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9
Martina McBride
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"In my daughter's eyes I am a hero. I am strong and wise and I know no fear. But the truth is plain to see, she was sent to rescue me."
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10
Anna Quindlen
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"When someone asks you where you came from, the answer is your mother. It's so much more than love. Even when there's no love, it's so much more than anything else in your life."
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11
Michelle Obama
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"I love our daughters more than anything in the world, more than life itself. So for me, being Mom-in-Chief is, and will always be, job number one."
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12
Kristin Hannah
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"As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong."
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13
Alice Hoffman
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"Even as a small child, I understood that women had secrets, and that some of these were only to be told to daughters. In this way we were bound together for eternity."
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14
JoJo Moyes
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"Even if the whole world was throwing rocks at you, if you had your mother at your back, you'd be OK."
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15
Unknown
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"Mother and daughter from the start, best friends forever from the heart."
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16
Mindy Kaling
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"It is so nice to come home and have solitude with me and my daughter."
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17
Tracey Edmonds
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"My mom is a strong-willed lady. She taught me to believe in myself no matter what anybody else said."
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18
Patricia Wayant
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"The love between a mother and a daughter is forever."
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19
Amy Newmark
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"As they get older our daughters become more and more like us too."
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20
Unknown
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"Mothers and daughters are closest when daughters become mothers."
Kelsey Hurwitz is the assistant editor of WomansDay.com, and covers entertainment, holidays, pets, and good news. When she’s not writing about doughnuts and talk show hosts, she can be found watching hours of bad reality TV, belting ‘70s rock songs, and searching for her next favorite snack.
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.