Today is Mothers Day where we take a special moment to remember all that mothers do for us and to thank them for it. Regardless of what era you talk about, I believe that being a mother is (or was) hard — exponentially harder than it is to be a father. And there is no way I could ever do what my grandmothers, mom, or wife have done. But they are not the only ones we should be celebrating today.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. It was the case then and it’s certainly the case now — and, perhaps, a little more so. With what is considered a traditional family rapidly changing, there is a shift in the support structure that children rely on as they grow and learn. We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge all the “mother-like” figures in our lives who help mothers, families, and societies raise our children.

So happy Mothers Day to all the moms and to all the friends, family, sitters, teachers, nurses and doctors, coaches, mentors, idols, and figures who let all moms (biological, adoptive, step-, -like, or otherwise) earn that title.