by Ann Migliore
In the bank yesterday stood a sign by the teller’s station that read,” Trivia Question - What year was Mother’s Day made an official holiday?
A. 1900 B. 1906 C. 1914
Not knowing the answer, I did what every other person would do. I asked google. 1914 is the correct answer in the United States. Although the ancient Greeks celebrated motherhood in their own way, England celebrated “Mothering Sunday” long before the United States made it official.
Why was it made official in the first place? President Woodrow Wilson was asked by a woman named Anna Jarvis, from Grafton West Virginia who began a push for it after her mother had passed away. The year was 1908. For those six years, Anna worked hard, and with great determination convinced the United States to make it a national holiday.
For most of us, we celebrate Mother’s Day for the same reason. We want to honor those great mothers who have gone before us, as well as our own. My Mom was a quiet lady, but was thought of as a kind person. My Grandmother on my mother’s side was not quiet. She made her opinion known on most topics, and wasn’t concerned what anyone thought about her. Family dynamics can be strange, but Mom’s personality didn’t warrant for much conversation.
Mothers are known to be the hand that rocks the cradle of the nation. A strong godly mother produces strong godly children who make a difference in our world. Without God’s intervention in our lives we don’t make an impact. A Mom who honors God in all that she does, transfers that message to all of her children, as well as everyone else around her.
When our first child was born, my husband gave me a ceramic plaque to hang on the wall in our bedroom. It said "God bless this Family, A bouquet of lives unfurled, Each a gift to each other, A Fragrance
to the world."
As a new mother I read that plaque over and over. It captured much of what I felt about godly motherhood. As we nurture our little ones to become adults, we place inside of them riches of goodness and grace. Even when we’re careful seeds of bitterness and hurt can be planted in their hearts too. It is part of being human, but those nasties don’t have to stay there. How we deal with those tender roots depends on whether they continue or not.
Life can move at warp speed sometimes. We need to have reminders to honor those most important to us. Stop what you are doing today, to thank God, for people he has placed in your life that made a difference.
Have a Happy Mother’s Day!