Happy Mother's Day!

In the United Kingdom (Ed and Phyllis take note) the holiday is called "Mothering Sunday" and it is/was celebrated on March 18, 2007. The origins of Mother's Day started in England in the 1600's. It was celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Also back in the day on "Mothering Sunday," the servants had the day off and they were encouraged to spend the day with their mothers. They even had a special cake called a "mothering cake." Later on "Mothering Sunday" had changed to honor the "mother church."

Then in 1872 Julia Ward Howe (who the "Battle Hymn of the Republic) suggested that the U.S. would have a national mother's day. It wasn't until thirty-five years later in 1907, that Ana Jarvis campaigned to make a national Mother's Day. She wanted the day to be the second week of May because this is when Jarvis' mother had died. In 1911, nearly every state celebrated Mother's Day. Finally in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day a national celebration. Other countries celebrate some form of mother's day throughout the year. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium celebrate their mother's day the same day as the U.S.

When I visited my mom's church (before I was a mom) her church gave a flower to each girl/woman there at church on mother's day. They were celebrating mothers and daughters. It was something I'm always going to remember. It gave me hope of what was yet to come down the road.