Remembering Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society. The first attempts to establish a "Mother's Day" in the United States came from women's peace groups. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the U.S. Civil War.

The daughter of Ann Jarvis, Anna, campaigned to establish Mother's Day first as a U.S. national holiday and then later as an international holiday. The holiday was declared officially by the state of West Virginia in 1910, and the rest of states followed quickly. On May 8, 1914, the U.S. Congress passed a law designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and requesting a proclamation. On May 9, 1914 President Wilson issued a proclamation declaring the very first national Mother's Day as a day for American citizens to honor mothers whose sons had died in war.

From that Mother’s Day has expanded into a day for every family to acknowledge the mother figures in their lives for all that they do. One of the most popular ways to honor Moms is to give them flower, cards and take them out to eat. Speaking as a mother, and grandmother, the best part of Mother’s Day is being able to spend time with the entire family, hearing the laughter and reflecting on the past and seeing all the possibilities that the future has in store for my family.