Mother's Day

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Mother's Day? Well, wonder no more....

Julia Ward Howe, famous for writing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, attempted to declare a Mother’s Day for Peace to unite women against war after the Civil War. She wrote The Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870 to call for peace but was otherwise unsuccessful.

A woman named Anna Jarvis founded Mothers' Day Work Clubs in five cities to improve sanitary and health conditions and treat wounds, feed, and clothe both Union and Confederate soldiers. But it was her daughter of the same name who eventually succeeded in getting President Woodrow Wilson to declare the first national Mother's Day in 1914 as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.

In less than a decade, we Americans turned it into something that stood for absolutely nothing but the biggest commercial holiday of the year. Anna Jarvis and her sister Ellsinore spent their family inheritance campaigning against what the holiday had become. Both died in poverty. According to her New York Times obituary, Jarvis became embittered because too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card. As she said, "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment."

I found this little recap of my last Mother's Day with 17-year-old Spawn under my roof....

I’m proud to report that my Mother’s Day wasn’t commercial at all. I avoid restaurants at all costs, and we don’t spend much money on gifts and cards that get thrown away or put in a box, so it wasn’t that much of an effort. Spawn got up early (before noon) and told me to make him a list of things he could do for me. And I did. And he did. And we hugged and were kind to each other. It was a good, good day.

Anyway....

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day! I know a lot of us are not physically with our children any more and that can make it a nostalgic time for us PSMers. Take a moment to think about the original intent of the holiday and those mothers of children in the miltaries all over the world. And pray for peace, today and always.

My Mother's Day gift to you....

A link to a short story: The Invisible Mother by Mary Lynn Plaisance