View From a Prairie Home

by Hege Hernfindahl, Columnist

My own mother didn’t like Mother’s Day. She thought it was too commercial. Looking up the origins of Mother’s Day, I thought it was quite interesting that the founder of mother’s day, Anna Jarvis came to regret it for the same reason.

Anna Jarvis’ mother, Anna Maria Reeves, was born in 1832 and grew up a devout Methodist. She later married Granville Jarvis and the couple settled in Taylor County, Virginia. Granville and Anna Maria had 13 children in 17 years. But due to diseases common in the Appalachia, such as measles, typhoid fever and diphtheria, only four of their children survived into adulthood.

The losses of her children inspired Anna Maria to organize “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” in the area to improve health and sanitary conditions. Her clubs provided assistance and education to families to reduce disease and infant mortality. They raised money to buy medicine and developed a program to inspect milk.

During the Civil War, the state of Virginia split into Virginia and West Virginia, but Anna Maria refused to take sides. She prayed for both Union and Confederate Soldiers and her “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” now provided aid to wounded and sick soldiers from both sides.

Her work to bring the community together continued after the Civil War ended. She and her club members arranged a “Mothers’ Friendship Day” in 1868 for soldiers and their families from both sides. Anna Maria spoke to the gathering about the importance of unity and reconciliation. Bands played both “Dixie” and the “Star Spangled Banner.” The event ended with all the participants, tears filling their eyes, singing “Auld Lang Syne.” It showed that old animosities were destructive and must end. We were one nation and should move forward with friendship and common goals.

Anna Maria continued her work through her church and as a public speaker. All through her life, she strived to honor and help mothers. She died on May 8,1905, surrounded by her four surviving children.

Anna Maria’s daughter, Anna, remembered that her mother had talked and prayed about a special day honoring mothers. So, on the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Anna organized a special service to honor her mother. The next year, Anna organized the first public Mother’s Day service in Philadelphia. 15,000 people attended.

Observance of Mother’s Day spread to many states and even to foreign countries. Anna’s goal was to make it an officially recognized holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution making the second Sunday in May the national Mother’s Day and for Americans to recognize it by displaying the flag.

Later, however, Anna felt that commercialism had destroyed Mother’s Day and fought to have it abolished.

For some reason, Mother’s Day in Norway is the second Sunday in February. My own mother, always a person to speak her mind, shared Anna Jarvis’ feelings about the commercialization of Mother’s Day. She told us not to buy her anything or even celebrate Mother’s Day. But as a child, I did make her cards and as an adult, I always called her. Personally, I enjoy Mother’s Day, getting flowers and calls from my dear children. But  maybe every day should be Mother’s Day. After all, the fourth commandment tells us to honor our father and our mother.