Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

Second Sunday in May is always observed as the "Mother's Day" in the United States of America. In order to mark this special day, mothers are gifted with varsities of gifts (cards), chocolates, flowers, and many more by their respective children. Even better, as the sun perishes beyond the horizon and the light starts drowning in the the floods of darkness, members of the family slowly gather together and start preparing for a delicious dinner to end the day.
"The first attempts to establish a "Mother's Day" in the U.S. were mostly marked by women's peace groups. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War. There were several limited observances in the 1870s and the 1880s but none achieved resonance beyond the local level.
In 1868 Ann Jarvis created a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship Day" whose purpose was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War", and she wanted to expand it into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in 1905 before the celebration became popular. Her daughter Anna Jarvis would continue her mother's efforts.
In New York City, Julia Ward Howe led a "Mother's Day" anti-war observance on June 2, 1872, which was accompanied by a Mother's Day Proclamation. The observance continued in Boston for about 10 years under Howe's personal sponsorship, then died out.
Several years later a Mother's Day observance on May 13, 1877 was held in Albion, Michigan over a dispute related to the temperature movement. According to local legend, Albion pioneer Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped up to complete the sermon of the Rev. Myron Daughterty who was distraught because an anti-temperance group had forced his son and two other temperance advocates to spend the night in a saloon and become publicly drunk. From the pulpit Blakeley called on other mothers to join her. Blakeley's two sons, both traveling salesmen, were so moved that they vowed to return each year to pay tribute to her and embarked on a campaign to urge their business contacts to do likewise. At their urging, in the early 1880s, the Methodist Episcopal Church in Albion set aside the second Sunday in May to recognize the special contributions of mothers.
Frank E. Hering, President of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, made the first known public plea for "a national day to honor our mothers" in 1904." (Source: Wikipedia)
Today is May 8, 2011 (the second Sunday in May of 2011) and here I am sitting in my room, alone. No plan. No chocolates. No flowers. No nothing. But this is not the first time I am missing my mother. I have been away from her for approximately four successive years now. My mother means everything to me. Since the passing of my father, she has undertaken the dual role of parenting, both as a mother and father. 
In my little world of education, she, although illiterate, has earned the doctorate in loving, caring, feeding, sheltering, and guiding me. If it was not for her continuos dedicated pursuit in providing me with hopes to aspire, goals to accomplish, tasks to challenge, pains to endure, memories to cherish, and many other, then I honestly doubt if I would have ever made this far on my own. For that, even if I thank her for gazillion times, it would still lack the rich nutrients of gratitude and payback. 
Until I return home sweet home, I pray to Aeolus to fly across the vast ocean, down the valley, up the mountains, through the fogs, by the rivers, and yet successfully deliver my words of "I love you" and "Thank you for everything" to my beloved mother. 

Happy Mother's Day ma! (Aie Ge Nyim Lu Tashi Delek Yoed)          

To read an interesting article of Mothers' Day by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Nicholas D. Kristof (journalist/Op-Ed columnist for The Times since 2001), visit    >>> Beyond Flowers for Mom <<<