Mother's Day is a time for honoring and thanking our own mothers for giving us life, raising us and being a source of emotional support and love. It is that rare day to enjoy breakfast in bed, cards and flowers from our own children and husbands. But the original intent of Mother's day is unknown to the general population. To the women who contributed to its inception, Mother's Day was much more than a recognition of individual mothers. It was an opportunity to use mother love as a powerful force for peacemaking, reconciliation and community cohesion.
The History of Mother's Day
Anna Reeves Jarvis
In the 1850’s Anna Reeves Jarvis organized Mother Work Day Clubs that focused on providing medicine for the poor and on improving sanitary conditions. Then, during the Civil War, Mother's Day Clubs cared for all soldiers—irregardless of which side of the battle they had chosen. After the war ended, Anna continued her peacemaking by working to bring people together to heal the deep wounds of those who had been divided by the war.Julia Ward Howe
In the 1870s, Julia Ward Howe began organizing “Mother's Peace Day.” After the blood bath of the civil war, she focused on voting rights for women and world peace. When war broke out between France and Prussia, she wrote an impassioned plea to mothers saying, “Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”Following unsuccessful efforts to pull together an international peace conference, and while the Franco Prussian war was still in progress, she began a global appeal to women. For the next 30 years, Americans celebrated Mother's Day for Peace on June 2. During this time, mothers played a leading role in the abolitionist movement to end slavery and launched campaigns to protect children and to improve the working conditions of women.
Anna Jarvis
Anna Reeves Jarvis’ daughter, Anna Jarvis is generally credited with the establishment of Mother’s Day in America. She tirelessly organized a letter writing campaign so that the work that her mother waged for peacemaking would not be forgotten. In 1914, her efforts paid off when Congress passed the Mothers Day resolution, appointing it as a national holiday to be celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May.Carrying on our mother’s legacy
Today, our greatest threat is from an indifference and irreverence for human welfare and the health of our planet. But mothers’ hearts have never been, nor will ever be indifferent to the suffering and death of their own sons or daughters or those of another mother’s child. Throughout history, women have acted to bring the love and compassion felt for their own children into their community, their country and their world.Organize your own circle of women to fuel the flame of mother love. Whether you’re gathering for play dates with other mothers and their young children—teaching your children to get along and respect one another, or assembling as political activists, together our mother love is powerful.
Help your children to discover and maintain inner peace, compassion and acceptance. Peace starts with each individual. Each child whose heart is filled with inner peace, compassion and acceptance will grow up to become a beacon for peace on Earth.
When we feel what others feel, our understanding will be real
Differences will disappear, loving kindness will be here
Every day, every night, show you care
Every day, every night, say a little prayer
Every day is a holy day
Every night is a holy night
excerpt from The Christmas Dream
2006 Mother's Day Ceremony Invitation
- ~Contributor Article Dateline: Apr 26 2006
