This weekend is all about mom, so I want to spend some time talking about what it means to be a mother in the Weekend Word.
moth·er
ˈməT͟Hər/
noun
1. a woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth.
verb
1. bring up (a child) with care and affection.
It’s important to note that there are two different definitions of a mother. There’s the woman who gives birth, and the women who raises a child. The first definition is rather passive, requiring little effort beyond the birthing process. The second definition is active, requiring significant action over an extended period of time.
Everyone has a mother who gave birth to them, and most people have a mother who raises them. Sometimes these two are the same, and many times, they are not. Many women have stepped up to the plate to help foster, adopt or serve as a mentor/role model children in need of a strong mother figure. Our nuns are some of those women. While we serve many orphans at our school – they are not motherless. They look to our nuns who have taken on the motherly role providing affection, care, education and guidance. Our nuns work hard day in and day out to raise some amazing kids at our school. We’d like to take this moment to celebrate their efforts and thank them for all that they do.
People have been celebrating mothers for thousands of years – from the ancient Greeks and Romans who honored the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, to the early Christians in the UK who celebrated Mothering Sunday in honor of the Virgin Mary, and later all mothers.
During the 19th century civil war era, the celebration expanded to the US and began taking on a different role. Rather than being a simple celebration of Mother’s, it became an opportunity for action. Mother’s Day workshops were held to teach mothers how to properly care for their children. Eventually, mothers would start forming small groups aimed at reconciling the Civil War and later promoting peace and friendship in the world.
It wasn’t until 1908 when Anna Jarvis, upon her mother Anna Reeves Jarvis’ death, decided to push for Mother’s Day as a national holiday to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children. Thanks to Anna’s efforts, Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1912 in the US and we’ve been celebrating by showering moms with gifts, cards, etc. ever since.
Any way you celebrate, this weekend make sure you thank the mom in your life for all her hard work.
With Love,
Cristen
