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Mothers Day-How It All Began
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?
State Expands Testing As It Looks To Reopen Economy
State Expands Testing As It Looks To Reopen Economy
By Victoria Ratliff
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Indiana will expand COVID-19 testing across the state to work toward its goal of testing every symptomatic Hoosier as Gov. Eric Holcomb looks to reopen more areas of the state’s economy.
The state will partner with OptumServe Health Services to open 20 testing sites across the state next week, and eventually a total of 50 sites by mid-May.
The expansion of testing will cost the state just short of $18 million, with the state hoping the tab will be covered by federal grants.
“This will provide a more complete picture about the spread of the virus, not only in high-risk populations but across the entire state,†Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of the Indiana State Department of Health, said at Holcomb’s daily virtual press briefing Tuesday.
Weaver said the sites initially will be able to test 30,000 Hoosiers per week, with 100,000 Hoosiers who show symptoms of COVID-19 tested per month, to bring the state closer to its goal of testing all symptomatic individuals.
So far, the state has tested only 87,181 of the 6.7 million Hoosiers. Those tests added 650 new cases of COVID-19 to the state’s tally, bringing the total to 16,588 positive cases. An additional 57 deaths were reported Tuesday, with 901 Hoosiers now dead from the virus.
Holcomb said while the daily reported cases are still high, reopening the economy isn’t based solely on the number of new cases. He said he will continue to look at how hospitals and the health care systems are handling the cases.
“It’s not just focusing on the positive (test result) cases that will continue. This could be with us, folks, for a year. It’s how we manage our way through this and how we keep that curve flat enough so that our health care system can care for those folks in need,†Holcomb said.
To help reduce the spread of the virus, the 20 new testing sites will test any symptomatic Hoosier, whether they are part of a high-risk group or not. The tests also will be free for those without insurance. Locations opening next week will be in Angola, Columbus, Connersville, Danville, Elkhart, Elwood, Huntington, Jasper, Johnson County, Lafayette, LaPorte, Logansport, Muncie, Peru, Richmond, Scottsburg, South Bend, Terre Haute, Valparaiso, and Vincennes.
Holcomb is using this week to focus on his decision due Friday: Whether to once-again extend the stay-at-home order or allow certain areas to reopen with a “new normal†of precautions.
He said he will use all the time he can to make a decision regarding whether to extend the order or what businesses to open and guidelines to set in place.
While Holcomb said he does not know yet what his Friday executive order will contain, at least one business is anticipating a reopening. Simon Property Group has said they plan to open malls across the country beginning Saturday.
Holcomb said he has talked to David Simon, chief executive officer of the company, but said he hasn’t shared any reopening plans with the group. He said they should still adhere to any guidelines he sets in place Friday.
Another question mark hangs over the now-closed Tyson meatpacking plant in Cass County, which has accounted for much of the recent large increase in positive COVID-19 cases in Indiana. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will sign an executive order classifying meat processing as critical infrastructure and reopening plants to avoid a shortage of poultry, pork, and other meats.
Holcomb and Weaver said strike teams from the State Department of Health visited the facility, testing all employees, and giving advice on how to clean the facility and keep workers protected. But they did not directly respond to a question on Trump’s plan to reopen the Cass County and other plants.
FOOTNOTE: Victoria Ratliff is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
Senator Braun’s Weekly Update | Smart Restart, Protecting Small Business from PPP Tax Liability
Senator Braun joined MSNBC Live to discuss how to protect the most vulnerable in nursing homes from COVID-19, Indiana’s plan for a smart reopen of the economy and how to reopen the country at large on a county-by-county, state-by-state basis.
Senator Braun joined Bloomberg’s Balance of Power to discuss the smart reopening of Indiana’s economy, and protecting our fruit and vegetable supply chains from destruction by expanding the Trump administration’s use of the Defense Protection Act to include them.
Meet the Press Daily: Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) says he is “OK with adjusting the approach†in response to reports of White House coronavirus task force winding down.
Senator Braun joined Stu Varney on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. to discuss Indiana’s play to reopen the Hoosier economy and why Congress needs to fix its budget dysfunction sooner with new COVID-19 relief spending.
U.S. Senator Mike Braun announced his intent to introduce legislation when he returns to Washington to fully protect small businesses from tax liability associated with loans forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program. The Safeguarding Small Business Act clarifies that there is no tax liability associated with loans forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program.Â
Northeast Indiana Rep. Jim Banks and Sen. Mike Braun were both recognized by one of the country’s leading conservative political action committees for their voting records.
Braun also scored highly in his first-ever ranking, recording a 95% match with the ACU’s priorities.Â
Senator Mike Braun took to the Senate floor on Monday to remember the legacy of Hoosier Republican leader and founder of the Indiana Black Expo Jim Cummings, Jr, as well as to support the nomination of Robert Feitel for Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
For Coronavirus Assistance, please visit braun.senate.gov/coroanvirus-assistance.
To subscribe to this newsletter and see other updates from Senator Braun, visit his official website.Â
To unsubscribe from Senator Braun’s Weekly Update, please contact press@braun.senate.gov.Â
Temporary Entrance Opens May 13 at the East Wastewater Treatment Plant
A temporary entrance at the East Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 1500 Waterworks Road, is scheduled to open on Tuesday, May 13. The temporary entrance is south of the existing entrance and closer to the raised levee embankment.
It is important for motorists traveling near the plant on Waterworks Road to slow down, observe the 30 mph speed limit and watch for traffic entering and exiting the plant. Message boards will be placed near the temporary entrance on Waterworks Road urging motorists to reduce speed.
The existing entrance will remain closed for approximately one year while improvements are constructed at the East Plant. The expansion project will increase the plant’s wet weather capacity to 40 million gallons a day in compliance with the federal consent decree.
For reference, Veterans Memorial Parkway is located near the top of the photograph.
UE Virtually Celebrates with 2020 Graduates
The University of Evansville celebrates with the graduating class of 2020. President, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz stated, “Today is the day our graduates to celebrate their tremendous success. Although they are not walking across the stage at the Ford Center, it is still a powerful moment they can reflect on their accomplishments. While at the University of Evansville, students transform their life through years of study, gaining skills for their future career and making life-long friends. This year’s class has a unique journey, but we didn’t want this day to go by without recognizing and celebrating with them and their families.”
The University has created a Commencement Corner web page that was emailed to students this morning at 10am, which would have been the start of the originally scheduled commencement. This web page includes:
- A message to congratulate you on students on their academic success and an opportunity for them to have tassel practice prior to the new Commencement date on September 19.
- The announcement of the commencement speaker.
- A video looking back video over the past few years.
- This year’s video from the Leadership Awards Program.
- Steps on how students can start their journey as a member of the Alumni Association.
“I hope our students and their families join us virtually in celebrating this day and take great pride in saying I Aced It!,” said President, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz.