Mother’s Day-Not Just Another Busy Day by Dina Ramon
Anna Jarvis would roll over in her grave. She is the Appalachian woman from West Virginia who was responsible for establishing Mother’s Day as a national holiday… with a little help from wealthy department store founder John Wanamaker. While successful in establishing Mother’s Day, and having it rubber stamped as a national holiday in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, by the time Jarvis died in the late 1940s she was apparently quite disheartened by how the day meant to officially honor mothers had become commercialized. Wow, if she could only see it now.
It’s certainly nice to give and get a ‘little’ gift for mom to express your love and appreciation for her but little can mean a big expense. A typical bottle of perfume – my personal favorite – costs a minimum of $60. A dozen long-stemmed roses might be half that if you find an online deal but when you throw in shipping, tax, and service charge, they cost more than the perfume. Even a simple card can run $5.00 these days – add a buck or two if it sings. 
Of course we are all worth it, but who needs that stuff really? Isn’t Mother’s Day supposed to be about kind words and actions that demonstrate how much we cherish our moms, and how much our kids cherish us? Unfortunately with all the ‘at work,’ ‘at home’ and everything in between stress of our day-to-day lives, over the past few years I have kind-of forgotten that it even was Mother’s Day. Sure, I called my own mother and posted my lovely daughter’s handmade card on the refrigerator. But the competing demands keep growing with each passing year. And this year is no different. Mother’s Day weekend also marks my 12-year wedding anniversary, coincides with the spring carnival at my daughter’s school, and will include a brief, cross-country visit from my brother.
Those events are certainly important but I say it should be a priority to pay extra attention and ensure that they share the spotlight with Mother’s Day, not crowd it out. I, for one, need to slow the day down, be ‘in the moment’ as they say as best I can and reflect on all that I have thankfully accomplished as a mom to this point, appreciate how fortunate I am to be a mom, and what I went through to become one. That sentiment may be especially true for us ‘older’ moms but certainly all moms can relate on some level. No mom should let Mother’s Day go by without patting herself on the back, just for a moment, while she enjoys time with her kids and family. Keep it simple and give a little silent nod to Anna Jarvis, whose efforts made this day dedicated to moms a reality. And if some perfume or flowers are part of the day, enjoy the fragrance as you think about what this day means. Thanks Anna! I salute you and mothers everywhere….
Tags: Anna Jarvis, Mother's Day, Mother's Day weekend, older moms celebrate Mothers Day
