Mothers Day

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Today as we all gathered together with our families to honour our mothers and grandmothers, whether they are still with us to celebrate with or perhaps have passed over their memories are still strong in our hearts, the family traditions they instilled in us still are practised today. I hope on this glorious day you found time to honour your mothers and ancestors of the past and also to honour yourself as a women, whether you have children 2 legged or 4 legged your love is infused into the souls that your nurture and love. Some woman like myself are not mothers of living beings but still are mothers of businesses, communities, groups, ideas, creations and the list goes on. I believe that every woman is a mother if you look into her life you will find many ways that she has mothered, nurtured and brought to life creations from her unending love. 

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I was interested to investigate the origins of Mothers Day which goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. The spring festival of the ancient Greeks was dedicated to the maternal goddesses. They honoured Rhea wife of Cronus and mother of many deities in Greek mythology.

250 years before Christ the Romans also celebrated a spring festival called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother Goddess. Offerings were made on the Ides of March in the temple of Cybele with games, parades and masquerades lasting three days.

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Back in the 1600's the early christians celebrated Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent honouring the Virgin Mary mother of Christ. In England the practise included all mothers and was known as Mothering Sunday. After attending the prayer service children would give flowers and gifts to their own mother.

This custom died out in the 19th century and was again celebrated after World War II, when American servicemen bought the commercial aspect of the day forward to encourage sales. 

Julia Ward Howe an activist, writer and poet who wrote the "Battle Hyme of the Republic" suggested that 2nd June be an annual celebration of Mothers Day and that the day should be dedicated to peace. She urged all women to rise against war in her Mothers Day Proclamation in Boston in 1870. 

Anna Jarvis who is recognised as the founder of Mothers Day in the USA (although she herself never had children). Inspired by her own mother Mrs Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis an activist and social worker who wished that someday all mothers living and dead would be honoured and paid tribute to. After her mothers death Anna wished to fulfil her mothers dream, she first sent carnations to the church service in Grafton West Virginia which she felt symbolised a mothers pure love. She then continued to lobby for an official Mothers Day Holiday. By 1911 almost every state in the union celebrated on 8th May 1914 and President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

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Today millions of people across the world honour their mothers for the tireless efforts they have made in raising their children and the hardships they have faced to do so. They are thanked for the support and love they bestow on their children and grandchildren. Mothers in the US, UK, India, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Belgium just to name a few of the 83 countries who all celebrate and honour mothers on this day.

For all of you who are fortunate enough to still have your mothers in your lives today, cherish her and tell her that you love her, for you never know for how long you will have her.

For those of you who no longer have your mother here with you cherish the memories you hold in your heart and still tell her that you love her as the message will still reach throughout all eternity.

For those of you who do not have the relationship you perhaps would like with your mothers, honour the fact that you were given life and have the blessings of this earth walk because of her.

Honour also should be bestowed upon our great Mother Earth who without her we would have no life. May we learn to honour her and respect her as we would our own mothers.

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I leave you this night with the words of Kahlil Gibran.

Blessing to all mothers.

The Mother

The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word “Mother,” and the most beautiful call is the call of “My mother.” 

It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart.

The mother is everything – she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness.

She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness….

Everything in nature bespeaks the mother.

The sun is the mother of earth and gives it its nourishment of heart; it never leaves the universe at night until it has put the earth to sleep to the song of the sea and the hymn of birds and brooks.

And this earth is the mother of trees and flowers.

It produces them, nurses them, and weans them.

The trees and flowers become kind mothers of their great fruits and seeds.

And the mother, the prototype of all existence, is the eternal spirit, full of beauty and love ♥

Kahlil Gibran ♥

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