Okay we all know Mother's Day is here!

What have we done to show for it?  We may have sent our wive's and mother's flowers, called them, taken them out for a special meal, but have we really told them that we love them?  What does that mean to us or more importantly to them?  Have we thought about trying to keep this same spirit of respect we have for them for more than this one day?  Do we think about them through-out the year?  Don't they deserve to have our respect for more than this one day?

I'm sure you are thinking yeah, I do that, but I would ask you this.  How many times over the past year did you do something special without being asked for your wife or mother?  Just for the fun of it or just because you care?  I'm really asking myself this question as much as anyone else. I'm just trying to be accountable!

Anyway, for me, I like to try to do something when they aren't expecting it.  Something that sometimes is just for the fun of it.  It doesn't have to have a price tag attached for them to know we care.  Doing something special for them can be as simple as doing the dishes or cleaning the house, or just talking about nothing earth shattering, just talking.

Here's a free link to Hallmark, Blue Mountain, and American Greeting, just in case you need it!

Now here's the story behind Mother's Day.

The Story of Mother's Day

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

Thank you for allowing me to share this!

David L. Britt
Olathe, Kansas
http://www.davidlbritt.com/
http://www.heritage.net
http://heritagerealestateteam.com

Guiding You HOME!