Everything born has an attachment to its mother. Since the beginning of time, every offspring has enjoyed the maternal bond. Only in extreme instances does a mother reject her child. It is natural for all animals, including humans, to enjoy this instinctual relationship. We do not know the actual date that honoring our mothers started. But it would be reasonable to think that it started with Adam and Eve.
“The celebration of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who arranged festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. The first references to Mother’s Day and motherhood come from ancient Greece. According to Greek mythology, Mother Earth (Gaia), wife of Uranus, is the personification of nature, who gives birth to the whole world and is worshipped as the supreme Goddess. The adoration and admiration that is shown to Gaia is then passed on to her daughter, Rhea, Saturn’s wife and sister. Rhea is worshipped as the ‘Mother of the Gods,’ as she seems to be the first to give birth and raise her children with breast milk. The ancient Greeks worshipped Rhea every spring, as she was also the Goddess of the earth and fertility.” (Hearld, 2021)
Shortly after the Civil War, Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother and started the movement to create Mother’s Day. In 1858, Anna Jarvis’s mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, formed the Mothers’ Day Work Clubs to improve infant mortality rates and make communities more sanitary. Anna Jarvis was one of four children who reached adulthood, with nine siblings dying as children. Anna spent much of her life arguing against the commercialization of Mother’s Day. Anna died at age 84 alone in an asylum in 1948. She never capitalized and made no money from Mother’s Day. In 1948, President Woodrow Wilson finally made Mother’s Day an official national holiday. Part of the debate concerned the naming of the holiday. Jarvis insisted that it be “Mother’s Day” singular so each family would honor only one mother.
“Many mothers feel underappreciated and unacknowledged on Mother’s Day and every day. On Mother’s Day, we dream of finally getting the recognition we deserve. In addition, some of us have unmet needs that stem from childhood. Even though these wounds may have been consciously forgotten, they remain encoded in our body and unconscious mind, playing out in our adult lives on sentimental occasions like Mother’s Day.” (Hendel) Mother’s Day is one of the more emotional holidays we experience. With all the hype, advertising, and celebration surrounding Mother’s Day, many mothers find themselves disappointed. The artificial expectations are often unrealistic, which leads to disappointment. As we all age, more and more people have lost their mothers and find themselves grieving on Mother’s Day. Some single mothers abandoned by their baby’s fathers find themselves alone every day, but it seems more emotionally bitter on a day that is supposed to be a day of celebration. Emotions such as grief are hard to handle and difficult to understand. It should be accepted that sadness is just one emotion that involves families, especially on certain holidays. Many have a complicated relationship with this holiday, and many emotions are conflicting. We do not understand many of these emotions. Each of us must accept and experience the emotions and appreciate the circumstances of each relationship.
“The celebration of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who arranged festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. The first references to Mother’s Day and motherhood come from ancient Greece. According to Greek mythology, Mother Earth (Gaia), wife of Uranus, is the personification of nature, who gives birth to the whole world and is worshipped as the supreme Goddess. The adoration and admiration that is shown to Gaia is then passed on to her daughter, Rhea, Saturn’s wife, and sister. Rhea is worshipped as the ‘Mother of the Gods,’ as she seems to be the first to give birth and raise her children with breast milk. The ancient Greeks worshipped Rhea every spring, as she was also the Goddess of the earth and fertility.” (Hearld, 2021)
Proverbs 31:25-30 reads, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” It is easy to believe that we respect our mothers every day, but the truth is that they do not get the respect and devotion they deserve. We especially realize that our relationship was not enough after the loss of our mothers. Consider that Mother’s Day is an occasion to value and celebrate the love and connections we share with our mothers, whether they are biological, chosen, or remembered.
Hearld, T. G. (2021, 9 5). The history of Mother’s day and its connection to ancient Greece. Retrieved from The Greek Hearld : https://greekherald.com.au/culture/the-history-of-mothers-day-and-its-connection-to-ancient-greece/#:~:text=The%20celebration%20of%20mothers%20and%20motherhood%20can%20be,Mother%E2%80%99s%20Day%20and%20motherhood%20come%20from%20ancient%20Greece.
Hendel, H. J. (@023, 5 1). One Simple Way to Have a Great Mother’s Day. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotion-as-information/202304/one-simple-way-to-have-a-great-mothers-day#:~:text=On%20Mother%E2%80%99s%20Day%2C%20we%20dream%20of%20finally%20getting,adult%20lives%20on%20sentimental%20occasions%20like%20Mother%27s%