Mother's Day is kind of an interesting holiday. While most holidays we celebrate in the U.S. are adopted and adapted from other countries, this is one that originated here. In 1912, an American woman named Anna Jarvis was inspired by the memory of her late mother to create the Mother's Day International Association and declare that the second Sunday in May would be recognized as Mother's Day. She was very specific about "mother" being singular, meaning that each family should honor its mothers individually, rather than a much less personal worldwide nod to all moms.Throughout history, mothers have been celebrated in various places in various ways, but now there was a universal day not tied to religious or cultural traditions. Mother's Day was such a huge "hit" that by the 1920's, Anna Jarvis was horrified by how commercial the holiday had become and spent the rest of her life fighting it! How commercial is Mother's Day? Well, according to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is THE most popular day of the year to eat out. It's estimated that this year, Americans will spend approximately $2.6 billion on flowers, $1.53 billion on pampering stuff like spa gift certificates, and another $68 million on greeting cards. Mama Mia!
Still...it's a lovely and wonderful thing to do, to honor our mothers. Maybe your mom is your best friend, or is totally driving you nuts these days, or you've grown apart but would like to bridge that gap. Maybe there are other women in your life in addition to -- or instead of -- your real mom who are like a mother to you. Whatever your situation, we hope you'll find some way that's special and honest to celebrate the forces of motherhood in your life...a way that you're comfortable with. You're never too old to draw a picture, make your own card, bead some jewelry, pick flowers, or plant something in someone's honor.
Here at IML you can celebrate Mother's Day too, on You Said It pages like The Coolest Thing Mom's Done and More Like Mom or Dad?
