May 9, 2008
It began as an ancient spring festival dedicated to mother goddesses. In the 1800’s an Appalachian homemaker, Anna Jarvis, organized a day to raise awareness about poor health conditions in her community. Clever woman, she thought this issue would be best advocated by mothers and created “Mother’s Work Day.”
Her daughter, in honor of her mother’s work, lobbied prominent businessmen and politicians to create a special day to honor mothers. One of the first celebrations of the day in the United States was in 1908 at Anna Jarvis’s church in West Virginia. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a bill designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a national holiday.
As a special treat for mothers, we recommend Sharon Old’s poem, Looking at Them Asleep, thoughts of a mother watching her two children sleep. You can find it at here . It begins: When I come home late at night and go in to kiss them, . . .
Copyright 2008 NewCastleNOW.org