Life as a Christian Woman

Hello all!

Today is the day we celebrate our mothers, and for those who are mothers, we get to be celebrated… never a bad thing in my book.

We have been led to believe through the years that Mother’s Day was originated by the card companies to increase revenue… nothing says “I love you, Mom” like a business decision, huh?

But the truth is, mothers have been celebrated for centuries. Christians initially began celebrating Mary, the mother of Jesus, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, but the day was later modified in England to include all mothers, and was called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States around 150 years ago, Anna Jarvis organized a day to draw attention to the poor health conditions of the Appalachians. Believing that mothers would be in the best position to lead the charge, she called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

Jarvis died in 1905, and her daughter wanted to memorialize her mother’s work. According to legend, the daughter (also named Anna) remembered her mother saying that she wished there was a day to honor mothers, saying “There are many days for men, but none for mothers.”

Anna’s hard work paid off in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill making Mother’s Day a national holiday. But sadly, years later Anna (the daughter) was said to have regretted pushing for the holiday, as it had become so commercialized and she believed that the true spirit of the day was lost.

But Mother’s Day survives… and here are some interesting statistics. The second Sunday of May, when the day is traditionally celebrated, is the most popular day of the year to eat out, and the phone lines are busiest on this day, as well.

Another interesting side note… many of you may remember the tradition of wearing a carnation on Mother’s Day, white if your mother had passed away, red if she was still living. This tradition actually began early in the last century. As daughter Anna lobbied politicians and businessmen, she passed out white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower. Just a few years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution that officials of the government should wear white carnations on Mother’s Day.

So there is your history lesson for the day. I hope you get a chance to visit with your own mother today, but that may not be possible. Some of us have lost our moms (me included). But we can still honor them, even if they are no longer with us. We can honor them by honoring God, by raising our sons and daughters to become the men and women that God intends them to be.

Happy Mother’s Day!