13 Instagram portraits that capture the universal beauty of motherhood

On Mother's Day, we celebrate the women who raised us and admire their strength in holding things together when we were busy making their lives totally stressful.

Though motherhood is universal, no two experiences are exactly the same. To commemorate, Instagram combed through its extensive user base to share portraits of motherhood from some of its best photographers. We couldn't resist including a few of our favorite photos, too.

Below, see a few beautiful portraits of motherhood and the captions that share their back stories.

A mother and her daughters gaze out at the sea in Gaza. #palestine #gaza A photo posted by Tanya Habjouqa (@habjouqa) on Jan 22, 2014 at 1:42pm PST

That one time my girls had a quick chat with a stranger looking all grown up #stopit A photo posted by kristinrogers (@kristinrogers) on Apr 17, 2015 at 3:34pm PDT

Mother walks daughter to school in west bank village of Yatta. Young girl had snazzi shoes & a curious gait #westbank #palestine #dailylife A photo posted by Tanya Habjouqa (@habjouqa) on Feb 19, 2014 at 1:18pm PST

Today sucked. It was one of those "gah, I wish I weren't a mom today" days..we all have them. But then I see photos like this on my camera roll and I get a total perspective change. I was a cranky, selfish brat today. I totally was. But this, this right here is what keeps me going....I thank my Lord every day for giving me my five little gifts. And this is why I take so many photos...to remind me. A photo posted by Kassi Bacquet (@kassibacquet) on Apr 20, 2015 at 9:42pm PDT

Mother and son, Nablus...and the ubiquitous hand gesture of Middle East. It can mean slow down, calm down, listen...and occasionally: have some manners. Photo by @habjouqa #nablus #palestine #westbank #mothers #culture #occupiedterritories A photo posted by Tanya Habjouqa (@habjouqa) on Apr 14, 2015 at 1:51pm PDT

Algiers, Algeria: Aisha Salhi holds two of her granddaughters during a family outing at the Jardins d'Essai botanical gardens where the first Tarzan film was shot. She told me "What I have lost in my life or have not enjoyed, I wish for my children to have a better life, happier life, a belle vie." Of the Algerian people she said they are very hospitable, very friendly, and I have found this to be true. @aarpphoto #aarp #algeria #family #hope #arab @reduxpictures A photo posted by Maggie Steber (@maggiesteber) on Oct 21, 2014 at 11:40am PDT

Photo by Maggie Steber. This photo of my mother Madje is included in the Women of Vision National Geographic exhibition opening at the #Palm Beach Photographic Center Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7pm coinciding with #FotoFusion Festival of Photography in sunny Palm Beach, FL. Madje suffered from memory loss. Throughout that melancholic voyage, as the only child of a single parent, I photographed her to make new memories and to save myself from the heartbreak of being forgotten and watching her disappear before me. During that time National Geographic Magazine assigned me to a story on the science of memory. Madje had been a scientist and would have enjoyed the irony of it all. At the end of the story the magazine used this photo with an ode I wrote to my mother. She was even on the cover in a collage of our old family photos. Story was published in 2007. @MediaStorm went on to produce #RiteofPassage about Madje and myself. You can see it on their website. This and other moving photographs by all the honored Women of Vision of NGM will be on display in this traveling exhibition. About 5 or 6 of us will be at the Palm Beach opening & hope to see you there! #wov #wovexhibition #madjehassentia #riteofpassage #memory #dementia #mediastorm @natgeo @natgeocreative @reduxpictures A photo posted by Maggie Steber (@maggiesteber) on Jan 19, 2015 at 5:54am PST

{fell asleep in the shower} A photo posted by Hannah (@happilyeverlyafter) on Jan 11, 2014 at 7:19pm PST

some days of parenthood are real doozies, like the kids aren't listening well and i spend all my energy saying the same thing to them what feels like five hundred times. days when they get too wound up and start fighting and pushing buttons, and being crazy like eating dirt from the garden, and slamming doors on fingers, and saying rude things, and shaving crayons with kitchen tools, and getting foundation on all the white linens in the bathroom. just all the things. and in those moments it all seems so overwhelming because as parents we are really trying to do our best and it's HARD work. like the hardest thing i've ever done. period. and frustratingly so, sometimes our best can look pretty pathetic because we are tired and worn down, or simply because we have NO idea what we are doing. but then, there are golden moments like these. moments where time stands still and the only words that come to mind are blessed and thankful. times that make me tear up with joy as i see my life unfolding with these sweet humans at the center of it, teaching me more about myself and the ways of the world than i could have ever learned from a book or travel experience or the like. as i navigate these waters of parenthood, i strive to keep this perspective, that everything is a phase, yes EVERYTHING. the hard and beautiful. to take each day slowly, savoring it's delicious nectar because it all goes so darn fast. photo taken by @kaleyfromkansas and vintage dress from @adelaidehomesewn A photo posted by Amanda Watters (@mamawatters) on May 2, 2015 at 7:02pm PDT

Years ago I stayed in Niger for 3 months covering a story on the Tuareg identity. One day I was invited to this beautiful wedding and being a woman I was privileged enough to discover the behind the scenes, where women were hiding. Being a woman photographer has always been a great advantage for me, I will always be fascinated by the closed worlds within the world. #agadez #niger #africa #wedding #celebrate #party #tuareg #everydayafrica #everydayeverywhere #africanwoman #reportage #being20inagadez #sahara #keltamasheq #tamasheq #tenere #desert #nomads #bedouins #tandemreportages #photojournalism A photo posted by Matilde Gattoni (@matildegattoni) on Dec 28, 2014 at 5:14am PST

In a tiny mountain village #chechnya A photo posted by markosian (@markosian) on Aug 19, 2014 at 5:37am PDT

I don't remember a lot of big things, like events or anniversaries. But I do remember the quiet moments like these. I remember the way Beck's hand feels when he's trying to find my heartbeat while he sleeps. I remember the way he smiles half asleep and whispers "I love you". And I remember how every time I hold him like this, it's just as magical as the first time he was put into my arms. A photo posted by Margaret J. (@margejacobsen) on Mar 12, 2015 at 9:08am PDT

A Somali mother tries to protect her baby from the harsh sunlight while queueing for food distribution in Dadaab refugee camp, the largest one in the world. #somalia #kenya #war #refugee #drought #africa #everydayafrica #humanitariancrisis #hunger #motherhood #protection #dadaab #refugeecamp #somalirefugees #latergram A photo posted by Matilde Gattoni (@matildegattoni) on Aug 23, 2014 at 3:33am PDT