Every Day is Mother’s Day

Every Day is Mother’s Day

Afghan Women in the Real World

The Strength and Power and Resilience of Mothers

. . . Every Day is Mother’s Day . . .

England was the first country to celebrate a special day for mothers, which was called “Mothering Sunday.” In 1907, a young American woman, Anne Jarvis, began a similar tradition in the USA.

On May 10, 1908, the third anniversary of her mother’s death, Anne Jarvis asked her church to hold a special service in honor of mothers everywhere. The idea caught on.

Some state governors began issuing Mother’s Day proclamations, and soon all states were observing Mother’s Day. By 1914, the United States Congress decided that the second Sunday in May should be proclaimed as Mother’s Day throughout the USA. Thank you, Anne Jarvis.

When my brother, John, and I were still kids in school, we weren’t wise enough to know how to acknowledge our mother’s powerful presence in our lives.

Now that we are older, we are grateful to thank the Maker of All Things for having chosen Maria Socorro Rivera of Patillas, Puerto Rico to be our mother. Dad, you knew things, and you chose wisely. Thank you for having the good sense and wisdom from above to choose our mom to be your lady.

Although it was you, dad, who reminded us (from time to time) that you owned the roof over our heads and the house underneath, it was mom who ran the place — you know, the family in which we lived, the home where our rooms were, the place where all our stuff was piled.

I think of my mom with profound respect, with overflowing love, with grateful admiration (heavy emphasis on reverence), and as the most honorable person I have ever known.

As far as I can tell, just about every mom I know is an amazing blessing, divinely chosen by her own name, to be the nurturing sacrament within her own special family.

Each mom is a child’s first teacher, author of love and wisdom, rock of stability, protector of the helpless, defender of puppies and kitty cats, kisser of owies, healer of skinned knees and elbows, a kid’s ultimate refuge of safety, a stand up and cheer provider of mac and cheese sandwiches and dinners, cleaner of messes, remover of shoes and teller of stories at bedtime, and the most wonderful bringer of warm jammies-with-feet at exactly the perfect moment.

These days, moms are often the only parent and sole financial provider of her family. Responsibilities crushingly multiply, even as resources become thinner.

Too many moms must learn to stand alone, to fight back, to become the resilient, enduring, persevering leaders of their families. Moms are warriors of strength and power and resilience. Honor them.

As a nation, we respect the individual value and collective worth of all mothers within our American society. It seems only reasonable that we honor all moms as they care for their families.

To this most basic of essential endeavors, may we follow the example of the founding fathers of our nation, to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

Moms are the most amazing creatures, and they know the most wonderful things. Every kid knows this.

When children are confused and fearful, moms hold scared kids within their protective arms, close to their heart, whispering reassuring words of safety, calming fears with the power of love.

Moms are patient problem solvers. When the desert becomes oppressively hot and dry, moms speak to the maker of rain.

Moms are the enduring power and strength of mountains. When simple goodness is needed, moms give generously of their greatness. Moms know that even the most violent storms will eventually fade away. When the earth trembles, shaking under the rolling thunder, moms are the calm and steady center of peace in times of trouble.

When others doubt and feel despairing, moms are the rock of strength, stability, and reassurance. Moms naturally seek safety, but quickly turn toward danger to protect their little ones. Moms know how to face forward like mother lions, and lean with courage into harm’s way.

Moms are friends with the Maker of All Things, the giver of life and time with those we love, and with those who love us. Because of You, Lord, moms are the essence of honor, clothed with strength and dignity, and they know how to laugh without fear of the future. 

With Your expressed permission, we live in a very small, distant corner of Your creation at exactly the perfect “Goldilocks” distance from “our” sun. Here we live on a little speck of rock and water and air, on a very small planet, the one we call Earth, that is our world. 

Moms know that to be born, to be alive, and to share in this splendid experience we call “Life” is to be chosen, personally, by our own names, by the Maker of All Things. Here in this small moment in time, we are meant to stand in awe and experience the immensity and majesty of Your creation.

Thank you, mom and dad, for inviting us to share our lives with you to fulfill God’s purpose. Thank you, Lord, for our moms and dads. The memory of our parents is a special sacrament in our lives.

Honor our fathers and mothers and know for sure that every day is Mother’s Day.

“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America