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This holiday that’s celebrated in over 40 countries is meant to honor mothers and motherhood in general. It also commemorates the significant contribution that mothers make to society worldwide. While some may think that this day is linked to ancient traditions that celebrate motherhood such as the Romans festival of Hilaria, it’s official start happened in the 20th century.
The modern version of Mother’s Day was introduced to the public by Anna Jarvis in 1908 when she held her mother’s memorial at a church in Grafton, West Virginia. That church (St Andrew’s Methodist Church) is now home to the International Mother’s Day Shrine.
Why did Anna Jarvis start this holiday?
While the holiday became official in 1914, campaigns to get it recognized started in 1905. This is the year that Ann Reeves Jarvis died on. She was a peace activist during the American Civil War and she cared for injured soldiers who came from either side. Ann Reeves Jarvis also started the Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address issues surrounding public health.
The impact that this woman made to her society resulted in her daughter Anna Jarvis continuing her work. Her mother’s work also resulted in her realizing how much mothers sacrifice for everyone in the world and that made her want a day where all these women can be honored.
Hurdles that faced this holiday’s becoming official
While the first public commemoration of this holiday started in 1908, the year was also when Congress rejected an application to make it official. Congressmen laughed off the proposal saying that they’d also have to introduce Mother-in-law’s Day. Anna Jarvis persisted with her campaign though and three years later all states in the US recognized Mother’s Day as a local holiday.
Even though Anna Jarvis was pleased with that the day was now an official holiday, she wasn’t happy about its commercialization. Early in the 1920s, many companies started selling Mother’s Day cards and this infuriated its founder. She said that these companies were warping the sentiment behind the holiday for profit.
She made it clear that Mother’s Day is best meant to be commemorated through heartfelt handwritten letters. She said that this shows genuine gratitude, appreciation, and love for your mother as opposed to buying pre-written cards and gifts. Her indignation made her threaten these companies with lawsuits and she even organized and partook in protests against them.
The importance of Mother’s Day
In our times, it even more important to show our mothers that we appreciate what they do for us. This is because modern moms have to deal with keeping up a good professional career while caring for the many needs of their families. Even stay-at-home mothers face a lot of struggles as raising and protecting children have become more challenging.
Part of the challenges that face mothers is that they don’t just have to protect their children from physical dangers now. We now have a number of predators and bullies in the mobile and online spheres. Being a mother also means having a wide range of skills.
The skills needed by mother’s ranges way beyond being able to help children with homework, teaching good personal care habits and general house chores. Mothers also have to play the roles of being a driver, first-aid practitioner, and nutritionist, to name a few. All these roles are usually fulfilled without previous experience or training.
To add the tangible roles that mothers fulfill, they also help build morals in children. This critical role helps children to become responsible, law-abiding adults. Some of these children end up becoming leaders in their respective fields due to the help of their loving mothers.
How mothers shape leaders
Mothers are well known for cautioning and teaching their children to stay away from bad associates. While, as a child you might not have enjoyed hearing this, effective leaders embrace this counsel. This helps them to keep their own reputations clean, including those of their organization’s. Leaders also follow in their mother’s footsteps by striving to keep bad associations away from whom they lead.
Mothers also play an essential role in shaping future leaders when they enforce manners in their children. Leaders who have good manners know what’s acceptable and what’s not. This helps them set boundaries in their respective domains that can help further organizational or societal interests.
Good manners also help leaders know what to say and to whom. This means that they know how to have a respectful and fruitful conversation with most people. Having this skill is vital in leaders as they have to talk with a lot of people from various backgrounds. This skill also means that they’re good listeners and a leader who listens can be of more value towards his cause/organization because he/she will know what’s expected from them.
Other important roles that mothers play in children’s lives
Mothers are generally more open with their emotions than fathers. This means that they’re more likely to become a child’s emotional anchor. Mothers aren’t afraid to show their children that they’re loved through hugs and crying with them. This emotional openness is what helps children form a tight bond with their mothers.
A mother’s advanced emotional capabilities are also what allows her to be able to know what her children need/want just by judging their moods. This is also what makes her better at teaching them how to deal with their emotions. Her emotional capabilities are what also makes children open up to her easily.
Mothers are also generally better communicators and this coupled with a strong connection with each child means that they become confidants. They’re also very keen on knowing more about their children and this makes them better at asking questions and getting answers from kids. This is important in coming up with solutions to a child’s problems.
Now that we’ve seen the crucial roles that mothers play in our lives, we can all agree that they deserve to have a holiday that honors them. We can also agree with Anna Jarvis on that’s it’s a day worth fighting for.