Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in the world, most specially to the single moms.

I never stopped anticipating this day because even when my kids were young, they make this day super special for me.  This day excites me because I am curious as to what surprises I will receive as my kids' token of their love and appreciation for me.  Don’t get me wrong, everyday they tell me they love me but on Mother’s Day, they do something extra special to make me feel that love.

My gratitude goes to the ladies who started Mother’s Day.  Probably if they did not, my kids would have beaten them into starting this revolution of showing gratitude to mothers.

There is no question about it, women are tough.  Throughout history, we’ve been fighting for our rights and our rightful place in the sand. Even the celebration of Mother’s Day could not have been realized without the courage of women.

In 1872, an activist, writer and poet, Julia Ward Howe fought for an official celebration of Mother’s Day in the United States of America.  She lobbied for an International Mother’s Day on which women would unite in opposing war in all its forms.  Women, mothers, we are only for peace and love. Despite her tireless efforts, Mother’s Day celebration was not officially decreed till 1914.

In 1907 Anna Jarvis started a campaign to officially recognize Mother’s Day. Her zeal to honor mothers was borne from her desire to give tribute to her own mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. Mrs. Jarvis founded Mother’s Day Work Clubs in five cities in West Virginia to improve health and sanitary conditions. These clubs also cared for soldiers, providing them food, clothing, shelter and healing their wounds. Anna succeeded in her efforts and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared a national day in celebration of Mother’s Day.

However, business opportunist started commercializing the celebration of Mother’s Day.  Instead of a day commemorating mothers’ love and honoring mothers for their tireless and enduring work for their families and communities, it simply became a busy day where people would go out to buy gifts and flowers for mothers.  It became more of a materialistic celebration.  Thus, Anna and her sister Ellsinore campaigned against Mother’s Day.  They spent time and money campaigning against this wrong celebration of Mother’s Day till their death.  Unsuccessful, they died broke. Anna did not marry and never became a mother herself.

Since the inception of Mother’s Day in 1914, this day has been relentlessly expanding. At the time of Anna’s death in 1948 more than 40 countries were celebrating Mother’s Day. This number keeps growing and today there are over 70 countries celebrating Mother’s Day.

My only hope is that people will celebrate Mother’s Day for the true reasons of love and care as envisioned by Anna.  I hope that Mother’s Day will be a celebration of love, hope, strength, courage and wisdom as this is what mothers embody.   

Happy Mother’s Day to all single mothers.  You deserve an accolade!