Mother’s Day
This Sunday, May 13, 2018, Mother’s Day is celebrated in America. If it weren’t for mothers, none of us would be here. Our mothers provide us with so much. They give us life, feed us, nurture us, teach us. They usually are the one we turn to when we need comfort, guidance, and to fix what hurts – whether it is a splinter, a cut, or a broken heart.
For those of us whose mothers are still alive, tell them every day, but especially this Sunday, that you LOVE them!!! Although you could send your mother a text or an email – how impersonal is that? – pick up the phone and call your mother. Right now! Just as we need to know our mothers love us and are there for us, they need to hear us say how much we love them.
Mothers give us so much. It is only right that we as children give something back to them, whether it is a bouquet of flowers, taking Mom out to eat, or writing a simple note in our own handwriting telling them what they mean to us. They will cherish that more than just about anything, except their children. They will add that note to their collection of “art” and writings they have saved ever since we were young. Do you remember making macaroni or pipe cleaner art for Mom or “writing” cards to Mom before you even knew how to write? You may not; but Mom does.
Think of all the things Moms have done with us, for us, and given to us. They read bedtime stories to us, went with us to school activities, and drove us to our friends’ homes. As we became older, they shared recipes, family traditions, and spoke words of wisdom that we can still hear as clearly as the day she told them to us.
For those women who are yet to become mothers, it will be a wonderful time. It will literally change your life. Having a child makes you realize that your priorities have changed. Nothing and no one is more important than your child or children. It will be a time of excitement and challenges, but one that you definitely don’t want to miss.
For those of us whose mothers are no longer with us, let us cherish the memories and be blessed for the mother we had.
History of Mother’s Day in America
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis, although she never married and never had any children, is usually recognized as the founder of Mother’s Day in America. She wanted it to be a day when children celebrate their mothers and tried to protect that day from being commercialized. But, as you know, Mother’s Day is now very much about business. According to a National Retail Federation’s annual Mother’s Day spending survey, people will spend about $23 billion for Mother’s Day (annual Mother’s Day spending survey).
The white carnation was the original flower of Mother’s Day. It was the favorite flower of Anna Jarvis’ mother. As Ms. Jarvis stated in a 1927 interview, “The carnation does not drop its petals, but hugs them to its heart as it dies, and so, too, mothers hug their children to their hearts, their mother love never dying.”
To learn more about Mother’s Day in America, click here to read about the early years of Mother’s Day and here for more history.
