I would like to invite you to celebrate May 12 Mother’s Day #MothersDay with me. Mom’s come in all forms and sometimes even dads have to become moms like my neighbor next door to me. For me its a wonderful Holiday as I get to celebrate today with Charlie but also sad because my mom has passed away and is in Heaven along with my daughter Suzzie but I know there celebrating together and that makes today easier as David is working a double and Charlie is sleeping giving me the opportunity to work. Making me one #BlessedMom
I would like to ask you a question. Do you remember when the Peace Corps adopted the slogan “The toughest job you’ll ever love”? No offense, Peace Corps, but that adage is more appropriate for motherhood a job that is ever-changing and frequently exasperating. Moms don’t get days off, nor do they receive handsome salaries or generous pensions.
Instead, moms rewards come in the form of sticky kisses, necklaces created from Elbow Macaroni, and the satisfaction of seeing their children grow up to be happy, healthy adults. That’s probably not adequate compensation so give Mom an extra hug or a special gift on Mother’s Day, which is the second Sunday in May,
Mother’s Day celebrations go back to ancient times when Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. However, the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday stands as the modern precursor. This European tradition fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent.
Many believed the faithful would return on this day to their “mother church” the main church near their home for a special service. The Mothering Sunday tradition shifted over time into a more secular holiday where children would give their mothers flowers and other gifts. This custom would blend into the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
American author and poet Julia Ward Howe, who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” became the editor of Woman’s Journal, a widely-read suffragist magazine, in 1872. During that time, she wrote an “Appeal to womanhood throughout the world,” which would become known as the Mother’s Day Proclamation.
The document or proclamation asked women to fight for world peace following both the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Howe then launched a failed attempted to start a “Mother’s Day” celebration on June 2. Two decades later Howe suggested a Mother’s Day celebration every July 4. This also failed to take hold, but set the stage for a future attempt.
Anna Jarvis successfully initiated Mother’s Day after her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died in 1905 when Jarvis noted that Mother’s Day should contain a “singular possessive,” so each family might honor its own mother as opposed to all mothers. Jarvis, who neither married nor had children, organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration in May 1908. A Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker lent his financial support to the cause. That same month thousands of people attended a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s stores.
Jarvis soon lobbied to make Mother’s Day a national holiday urging prominent Americans to join the effort. By 1912 many States, towns, and Churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual event. Jarvis also started the Mother’s Day International Association. President Wilson would soon establish the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914. Hallmark began selling Mother’s Day cards in the early 1920s.
Jarvis’ love affair with the holiday she worked so hard to start did not last, and she eventually grew to resent its commercial appeal. As florists and greeting card companies began to cash in, she soured on the idea of a national day urging people to stop buying flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis spent most of her personal wealth hiring attorneys to file lawsuits against groups using the term “Mother’s Day.” She even tried to persuade the federal government to remove it from the calendar.
The undying love and selfless sacrifices of mothers are returned with some royal treatment of them on Mother’s Day which is the day to pamper the queen of the household herself! Think gifts, breakfast in bed, hand-drawn cards with stickers on them, a shopping spree or spa day, but most of all remember to tell your mom how much you love them.
Most common traditions of the day include the kids and dad taking over the house chores and cooking for the day, spending extra time with mom, and buying mom traditional gifts like flowers, jewelry, or an item that she has had her eyes on for a while. There are great sales and discounts across several stores and restaurants, as well as special deals only for mothers. Movies and episodes related to mothers or Mother’s Day are aired all day long, and talk shows and segments featuring celebrity mothers. Speaking of celebrities, mothers are the stars of the day, so their photos are all over social media.
MOTHER’S DAY ACTIVITIES
- Have you ever noticed how your mom always say they don’t want expensive presents? Believe your mom because all she wants is to spend some time with you. Take a hike or plan a picnic or help your mom in the garden or hit the town. Even if it’s no more creative than a big bowl of Popcorn and a “GOT” marathon, Mom will enjoy the QT more than any tangible present.
- Find an amazing restaurant and treat Mom to a Mimosa and remember the sky’s the limit for lunch and dinner options but pan ahead because restaurants will fill up fast.
- Listening is an act of love so with that in mind, take a break from talking about your own problems and listen to your mom talk about her life, her dreams, or her favorite memories. If you have siblings, get the family together and tell stories!
WHY PEOPLE LOVE MOTHER’S DAY
- Like so many constants in our lives, we sometimes take our parents for granted because we’ve known them all our lives. Yes, we know that Mother’s Day can feel somewhat commercialized and obligatory, but if you can think outside the checkbook and do something truly special for your mother, then why not do it?
- For the first couple of years, your mom fed you, protected you, and read “Goodnight Moon” to you until she knew it by heart. After that came the lessons in how to share, to try new foods, and to not wallop your brother over the head with a metal Tonka truck. Your mom encouraged your curiosity, indulged your interests, helped form your sense of humor and in other words, she made you and trust me she will tell you.
- Maybe the woman who gave birth to you isn’t with you now but it’s a good bet that there are other strong, influential women in your life. Mother figures come in many shapes, so don’t take Mother’s Day too literally. Say thank you to any or all of the women you know who work hard and love others, since that’s essentially what mothering is all about.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
