President Woodrow Wilson set aside the second Sunday of May starting in 1914 as “Mother’s Day”. Originally, it was founded as a day for mourning women to remember their fallen soldiers and achieve personal peace. The greatest champion of Mother’s Day was Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. See, it all started in the 1850s when the West Virginia Women’s organizer Ann Reeves Jarvis held Mother’s Day. Her organization had many lofty aspirations, including dropping the infant mortality rate. They were also the first organization to put standards on the quality of milk in order to help curb related sickness (Katharine Autolins). The group also tended the wounds of soldiers regardless of allegiance during the U.S. Civil War. In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, best known for her composition of “The Battle Hyme of the Republic”, issued a widely read Mother’s Day proclamation calling for women to take an active political role in promoting peace. So originally Mother’s Day was about women helping others. Today, let us celebrate Mothers for what they do and how hard they work. Let us take a moment to appreciate their influence being ever present in our lives. I wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the great Moms out there who truly care.

Just a Thought,

PSS

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