MOTHER’S DAY

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Have you ever wondered how this holiday originated?  About 150 years ago Anna Jarvis organized a day to raise awareness of the poor health conditions in her community.  Since she thought that mothers were in favor of this, she called it “Mother’s Work Day”.  After she passed away, her namesake Anna wanted to honor her mom’s achievements including fulfilling her desire to someday create a special day just for mothers.  Anna worked diligently to push for this goal, talking to presidents and other leaders.  In 1914 Congress passed a bill signed by President Woodrow Wilson recognizing the second Sunday of May as the national holiday for mothers.  Ironically Anna began to loathe Mother’s Day because of its emphasis on expensive gifts and fancy flowers when she simply wanted it to be a day to tell moms how much they were loved and appreciated, just a day to honor Mom!  

There should be no argument that mothers should be honored, thanked and appreciated every day for all they do and for all the love they share.  When full-time mom, Peggy Campolo was asked, “And what is it that YOU do?” she replied,  “I am socializing two homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they may be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia that God willed from the beginning of creation.  And what is it that YOU do?”

Proverbs 31:10-31 is King Lemuel’s and actually God’s evaluation of the importance of the work and faith of mothers and women everywhere.  Anna Jarvis would truly appreciate the response given in verses 28-29 by their children and husbands, “Her children rise up and bless her; as for her husband he also praises her, saying, ‘Many daughters have done excellently BUT you have gone above them all.’”  Happy Mother’s Day!

Bob Kulp