To honor all mothers and all acts of motherhood.
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Not having any children myself, I used to feel embarrassed and compelled to set the record straight when someone, because I was a woman, said Happy Mother’s Day to me. But, as I have been learning lately, motherhood, in the broadest sense, includes creation and we as women are creators. We bring many aspects of motherhood to all areas of life.
Did you know… the person largely responsible for making Mother’s day a National holiday never married or had children of her own? When her mother died in 1905, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother's Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
She gained financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker and in May 1908, she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day, thousands of people attended a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.
With the success of the day, she resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood.
My own mom passed away a few months ago and I definitely honor all she did for us. She was a hard worker, resourceful and a partner with my dad in the marina they owned. She just dug in and did the work of running the business; bookkeeping, invoicing, booking appointments or whatever needed to be done, without any formal training. If she didn’t know how to do it, she learned.
Then, my dad became ill and couldn't work. His frustration with it all led to violent outbursts. So, after 17 years of marriage, with 2 kids and a 3rd on the way, she ended up a single mom with no provable work history and no credit. At the time, women still could not get credit without a man’s signature. So, she became a waitress, enlisted a friend's husband to sign for a car and we got by.
Probably the most impressive thing of all was my mom’s attitude. She was always fun, playful and a happy person. We splurged every Friday for pizza at the local pizza place near us. It was always a treat and a taste of normalcy. I was 15, almost 16 and I became a partner in all things home related, like grocery shopping, child care and meal prep. She, in turn, gave me the trust and freedom that might come with that type of responsibility.
I will never forget one of her sayings… No news is good news… if she hadn’t heard something was wrong, then she could assume everything was good. It was probably developed for her own sanity as we all grew up and I started to drive and spend more time away from home.
I thank my mom all the time for demonstrating what trust looks like and for being an example of true partnership. My opinions and work were valued and appreciated and I had her back. While my peers were experiencing angst and rebellion, I developed skills for living, resourcefulness and the general optimism that things will always work out. I learned from her that ultimately, I have the power to determine how my life goes.
Hats off to moms everywhere who have ALL had struggles and things that they overcame or sacrificed to bring a family into existence or to just survive.
We love you!
Have a GREAT Mother’s Day.
~Written by Susan Bouet
