Vol. 31, No. 5 -- May 2011
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE DEAF
9545 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE DEAF
9545 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
The mothers of Mother's Day
If you were to research the history of Mother's Day in the United States, you would see the names of three women who played a prominent role in the creation of the national day of recognition.
Julia Ward Howe was an ardent abolitionist in the days of the Civil War. Both she and her husband, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, devoted their lives to social reform. Dr. Howe established the Perkins School for the Blind, later made famous by a student named Helen Keller. After the Howes met President Lincoln at the White House in 1861, Julia wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which became the theme song of the Union army. When you read the words of Julia Howe's hymn, you would never guess that she was a pacifist. Not only did she oppose slavery, she opposed war even more. Julia organized women's groups to advocate an end to military conflict worldwide and to fight for women's rights.
In 1870 Julia Howe's name became synonymous with the cause to establish a national Mother's Day when she published her Mother's Day Proclamation. Her proclamation had nothing to do with gratitude to mothers. Rather, it was an appeal to "convene a general conference of women" to take up the cause of military disarmament. "Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause," she wrote. "As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel."
Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis also lived during the Civil War. She organized women's associations in Virginia churches, which she called "Mother's Day Work Clubs," for the purpose of promoting community health and safety, women's rights, an end to war, and care for wounded soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Throughout her life, Mrs. Jarvis was active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was a teacher in the church school. Once when she taught a lesson on mothers in the Bible, she ended the lesson with a prayer which included this wish: "I hope that someone, sometime will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it." One student in that class who never forgot her prayer was Ann's twelve-year old daughter...
Anna Jarvis. In 1905, at her mother's graveside, Anna remember that prayer. There she vowed, "...by the grace of God you shall have that Mother's Day." Anna campaigned vigorously to have the second Sunday in May designated as Mother's Day. She advocated commemorating the day with carnations -- her own mother's favorite flower -- white carnations to honor mothers who have died and red to honor the living. Anna's cause received a boost with support from a prominent Christian retail businessman, John Wannamaker. The movement finally caught on in city governments. Eventually governors of several states offered Mother's Day proclamations. Finally in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson gave official national recognition to Mother's Day.
In later years when Anna Jarvis saw the commercialism that became associated with Mother's Day, she regretted having started the tradition. She felt that merchandisers were detracting from the original purpose of day. Anna, her mother, and Julia Howe all understood that it takes more than a dinner, a card, and some flowers one day out of a year to give mothers the sincere recognition that they are due. Our true appreciation is seen in what we say and do on the other 364 days of the year.
~~Pastor Ron