Everyone reading this, beyond a shadow of a doubt, has had a mother, and for many she was one of the first few people they came to love. For the lucky ones, this state of affairs is lifelong. But undergirding all of those mothers are stories both unique and sometimes even more so.

So what better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than, to paraphrase James Brown, to give the mothers some. Some what? Some time, center stage, to talk about how they came to be so equipped to put up with us, a cross section of OZY folks and friends brave enough to give the floor to their moms and say “have at it.” And, yeah, they did.

For this and everything else? We love you, Mom.

Bad Day Digest: Soldiers Showing Up With Bayonets

Your moms ever have to lie and hide from rifle- and bayonet-toting Japanese soldiers looking to kill your father or any other able-bodied men they find? OZY’s Leslie dela Vega’s mother did, and lived to tell her about it.

Top of the World, Ma!

Coming of age in the Age of Aquarius and with a desire to put into play all of the palaver about peace, love and the plight of the underserved, OZY’s Eugene S. Robinson’s mom makes a compelling circuit from social work to police work and back again.

When a Filipina Hits the Dance Floor

Emelyn Ocampo’s mother made the transit from the Philippines to New York City of the ’60s, and through building a life for herself and her family and returning with some frequency to “home” to lead a medical mission, she never stopped dancing.

What Does It Take to Be a Mother of 10?

Mothering 10 human beings could easily be the place where the story both starts and stops, and you’d still think OZY’s Nick Fouriezos’ mom was a stud. But stop there? Never. How about running a marathon in Marathon, Greece, and managing skyscrapers as a later-in-life pivot? Believe it.

When Your Mom Dumps You

Anyone who tells you mothering or being mothered is all about walks in the park and beds of roses? Well, they’re not telling nearly the whole truth. So says Hali Langton, whose story about a breakdown in the mothering MO is a story of both a major failure and a redemption.

(Never) Waiting Too Late

Living life through a marriage and two kids and a sudden realization: Why the hell am I banker again? Well, what to do? Switch lives and careers midstream, and live happily ever after? It couldn’t really be easier. Or could it?