The History
of Mothers Day
Anna
Reeves Jarvis
In the
1850’s Anna Reeves Jarvis organized Mother Work Day
Clubs that focused on providing medicine for the poor and
on improving sanitary conditions. Then, during the Civil War,
Mothers Day Clubs cared for all soldiers—irregardless
of which side of the battle they had chosen. After the war
ended, Anna continued her peacemaking by working to bring
people together to heal the deep wounds of those who had been
divided by the war.
Julia
Ward Howe
In the
1870s, Julia Ward Howe began organizing “Mothers Peace
Day.” After the blood bath of the civil war, she focused
on voting rights for women and world peace. When war broke
out between France and Prussia, she wrote an impassioned plea
to mothers saying, “Our sons shall not be taken from
us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of
charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country,
will be too tender of those of another country to allow our
sons to be trained to injure theirs.”
Following
unsuccessful efforts to pull together an international peace
conference, and while the Franco Prussian war was still in
progress, she began a global appeal to women. For the next
30 years, Americans celebrated Mothers Day for Peace on June
2. During this time, mothers played a leading role in the
abolitionist movement to end slavery and launched campaigns
to protect children and to improve the working conditions
of women.
Anna
Jarvis
Anna Reeves
Jarvis’ daughter, Anna Jarvis is generally credited
with the establishment of Mother’s Day in America. She
tirelessly organized a letter writing campaign so that the
work that her mother waged for peacemaking would not be forgotten.
In 1914, her efforts paid off when Congress passed the Mothers
Day resolution, appointing it as a national holiday to be
celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May.
Carrying
on our mother’s legacy
Today,
our greatest threat is from an indifference and irreverence
for human welfare and the health of our planet. But mothers’
hearts have never been, nor will ever be indifferent to the
suffering and death of their own sons or daughters or those
of another mother’s child. Throughout history, women
have acted to bring the love and compassion felt for their
own children into their community, their country and their
world.
I’m honored to be part of a newly formed circle of women,
whose mission is to inspire and promote peace. Together with
the Santa Barbara Chapter of Veterans for Peace, we are organizing
a Mothers Day ceremony at a stretch of beach in Santa Barbara,
California —dubbed Arlington West. Here, it is impossible
to be indifferent to the devastating cost of war. For on Mothers
Day and each and every Sunday morning, individual white crosses
are placed in long straight rows in the sand, one for each
fallen soldier of the war. The gathering will honor and mourn
the loss of lives, as has been the tradition of communities
for centuries, and commit to working for peaceful solutions
to conflict in our world.
Together, our mother love is powerful. Help unite
the chorus of mother’s voices in the name of peace.
Join
us at Arlington West, Santa Barbara on May 14, Mothers
Day. (Details can be found on our website: www.motherhearts.org)
Or join
us through prayer and peaceful intentions.
Share
your expressions of peace and mother love. We invite
you to send your art, writing and poetry to motherhearts.org.
Submissions will be posted at Arlington West on Mothers Day
and may be included on the website.
Organize
your own circle of women to fuel the flame of mother love.
Whether you’re gathering for play dates with other mothers
and their young children—teaching your children to get
along and respect one another, or assembling as political
activists, together our mother love is powerful.
Help your children to discover and maintain
inner peace, compassion and acceptance. Peace starts with
each individual. Each child whose heart is filled with inner
peace, compassion and acceptance will grow up to become a
beacon for peace on Earth.
|
When
we feel what others feel, our understanding will be
real
Differences will disappear, loving kindness will be
here
Every day, every night, show you care
Every day, every night, say a little prayer
Every
day is a holy day
Every night is a holy night
(excerpt
from The Christmas Dream, by Patti Teel) |
About
the author: Patti helps children to find peace within
themselves. She is the creator of a highly acclaimed audio
series that teaches children to turn inward and relax. In
her new book for parents, The
Floppy Sleepy Game
,
parents learn playful relaxation techniques to help their
children practice the three R’s--resting their bodies,
relaxing their minds, and refreshing their spirits. www.pattiteel.com
