In the United States and elsewhere, the second Sunday in May is reserved to honor mothers and to thank them for all that they do.

The tradition began in the early 1900’s when Anna Jarvis set out to honor her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis, a homemaker who started Mothers’ Day Work Clubs in the late 1800’s to improve sanitary and health conditions in her community.

Jarvis ultimately succeeded in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.

As is custom, the Washington Daily News sought to honor a Mother of the Year on the second Sunday in May. After careful review of the 13 entries, the judges selected Ruby Daniels Pippin who is featured in today’s front-page story.

Where the voting was extremely close, we also wanted to recognize the other well-deserving mothers who were nominated for Mother of the Year: Mae Carr, Deborah S. Cartwright, Edna Paul Cordon, Shirley Carraway Hardison, Myrtle Hodges, Theresa Holman, Florence Elizabeth Lodge, Marilyn Paul, Elaine Swindell, Jo Taylor, Audrey Toler and Ruth Whitfield. Their unselfish acts of motherhood were deserving of acknowledgment.

It has often been called the toughest job on Earth, and on this day, we thank all of the special people who answer the call of “mother.”