(The Scriptures in this article are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible).
Mother’s Day is a national holiday celebrated in America each year on the second Sunday of May. How did Mother’s Day start?
It all started in Grafton, West Virginia, with a native, Anna Jarvis, who wanted her mother’s wish of having a holiday for celebrating and honoring mothers to become a reality. One day in Sunday school class at church, Anna remembered witnessing her mother’s closing prayer stating, “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will find a Memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her and the service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” These are the services Anna’s mother organized—Mother’s Day Work Clubs to teach women in the community how to care for their children and “Mothers’ Friendship Day” to promote unity and reconciliation between mothers of former Confederate and Union soldiers. Anna’s mother also wanted other mothers and women who served as societal role models to be recognized. Anna never forgot her mother’s prayer. She even repeated it during her mother’s funeral service in 1905, vowing, “By the grace of God, you shall have that Mother’s Day.”
Therefore, two years later (1907), Anna began to act to fulfill her mother’s wish for a special day to honor motherhood. She did it through public speaking, campaigning, and writing letters to newspapers, organizations, and legislatures—local, state, and national—for America to adopt a national holiday as a tribute to mothers for their selfless devotion as domestic caregivers to their families. Five years later (1912), Anna’s work started to pay off by having supporters from many states, towns, and churches endorse Mother’s Day as an annual holiday. She even established a Mother’s Day International Association to further her cause to celebrate the holiday. As a result, four years later (1914), President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that made Mother’s Day a national holiday celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. And Anna’s mother’s wish for a holiday for mothers came true.
Ironically, the very holiday Anna worked so tirelessly to establish soon took on a commercial character, with businesses capitalizing on the occasion to sell flowers, cards, and candies. This commercialization deeply saddened Anna, whose original intent was to honor her mother’s prayer, not to create a retail event. Displeased with this commercialism, Anna tried to campaign for the legal cancellation of Mother’s Day in the United States, but her attempts failed ( www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Jarvis and www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day). America did not accept Anna’s attempts to cancel Mother’s Day, likely because the holiday serves as an inspiration to pay homage to all the mothers of our nation. But if we have mothers who are a part of our everyday lives, should we honor our mothers every day instead of Mother’s Day?
We Americans have observed Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May every year as a tribute to honor all mothers in our nation since 1914. However, we Christians must remember to follow God’s commandment to honor our mothers every day of our lives (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 15:16), not just on Mother’s Day. Therefore, God gave everybody a mother as a gift to give birth. So, we who have mothers who are devoted to us and a part of our everyday lives should cherish them daily. Beyond the second Sunday in May, let us honor our mothers through acts of kindness, appreciation, and consistent expressions of love. For it is written in Scripture—” Let her who bore you rejoice (Proverbs 23:25),” and “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you (Luke 11:27).” On the other hand, not everybody in America has a mother present in their life. One reason for that is they lost her to bereavement.
Many children lost their mothers through death, and some mothers lost their children through death. In that case, Mother’s Day should be a time of remembrance for grieving mothers and children so that mourning mothers and children can remember and cherish all the good times they had with them. On this holiday, individuals, churches, and communities should use the day to have prayer meetings or support groups to reach out to pray for and to give comfort and sufficient support to grieving mothers and children. Mothers and children do not only lose each other by bereavement but also by estrangement.
Circumstances between mothers and children cause them to separate, making them estranged. In that case, Mother’s Day should be a time for peace and reconciliation to restore and reconcile estranged relationships between mothers and children. Hence, they would make peace by setting aside all differences and forgiving all grievances they made against each other. Furthermore, that would bring a fresh start to their relationship, bridging love, harmony, and unity.
In conclusion, Mother’s Day is a significant holiday in America, giving tribute to all mothers in our nation—living or deceased. Anna Jarvis urged America to create a holiday for mothers and women serving as role models and caregivers for their families and society. However, for all Americans, celebrating Mother’s Day brings glory to God, our Creator, by obeying His commandments to honor our mothers—not only through obedience, but honor them by cherishing them, caring for them, and showing them respect—Kenneth Sullivan.