Mothers Day-How It All Began
The celebration of Mother’s Day dates back all the way to ancient times, but the idea of the celebration was first kicked around in 1872. Julia Ward Howe, author of the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,†proposed Mother’s Day as a day dedicated to peace.
But it was Ann Jarvis of West Virginia, however, who really pushed for a national day to honor mothers. On the second anniversary of her mother’s death, Jarvis asked her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia, to celebrate a day to honor mothers.
Her mother had died on the second Sunday in May. The church obliged and the following year, the city of Philadelphia joined in the celebration. Thanks to a campaign by Jarvis and her supporters, by 1911 almost every state celebrated Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.
Other countries also celebrate Mother’s Day but come on different days. In England, Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
Back to Its Roots
I’m not alone in thinking it’s time we got back to the original intention of this holiday. According to Nancy Twigg’s book Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions (Counting the Cost Publications), at one point Ann Jarvis became so fed up with how commercial the holiday had become that she actually filed a lawsuit to stop one Mother’s Day event from taking place.
So with the original spirit of Mother’s Day and the example of our heavenly mother in mind, here are some suggestions for getting back to the roots of this holiday:
• Call your mom just to say “I love you,†even if you talk to her or see her on a regular basis. If your mom has passed away, honor her by taking flowers to her grave, fixing one of her favorite recipes, or telling a favorite story about her.
• Give the gift of time. For years I struggled with what to get my mom for Mother’s Day. Then one year it dawned on me that my mom and I always would await Mother’s Day as the day to start planting flowers in our garden. So I suggested that, as her gift, I would come over on Mother’s Day and help her plant flowers in her garden. It’s now become a tradition that we both look forward to and cherish.
• Don’t forget the other 364 days a year. While it’s nice to have a day devoted to recognizing all that moms do, remember that you don’t have to save up your “thank you’s†and “I love you’s†for Mother’s Day.
• Think outside the box. Instead of a card or a gift, try to come up with a more personal, creative idea for your gift-giving. For instance, make your own card, stuff a box with little slips of paper containing all the things you love about your mom, or fill a journal with all the lessons that your mom has taught you.
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY?
