Today has been Mothers Day here in the US. I believe that it has coincided with Mothers Day in other places too, it doesn't always.
I get confused, and my wife is frequently moved to cast pitying glances in my direction, which I pretend I didn't see and she is kind enough to let me get away with it.
I get confused because I live in the United States, but am from the UK. My Mum is from the UK too, but she lives in France.
So I never know whether we are in the same "Mothers Day Time Zone", or not.
In any event, I changed my Facebook picture as has become a regular thing, and I wrote on her wall. I'm sure she knows it's Mothers Day here, and will appreciated the sentiment.
Unless she is in Africa again, then who knows.
Anyway, leaving aside my geographical confusion, and the pitying look in the eyes of Mrs Twigg ....
I decide to take a look at the sentiment behind the growing popularity of Mothers Day.
I mean ... Sure, Mothers are great and we all have one. And even though I spent many years working with children who's Mothers left a lot to be desired, on this day most of them would be thankful for their Mothers.
But Mothers Day was not conceived simply as a day where children barely out of diapers risked life and limb to use the toaster that they might deliver burnt toast, and barely describable coffee in bed, to their Moms. Moms who were thankful to be woken at six am with this culinary delight, and whose first emotion on this, their special day, was simple gratitude that the infants hadn't burned the house down.
Nope ... Mothers Day was proposed by Julia Ward Howe, who in 1870 wrote this:
"From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace..."
Julia Ward Howe was anti-war activist who, several years earlier had written The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The irony is thick on the ground here. Julia Ward Howe, writer of one of the most famous patriotic anthems that extols our soldiers to victory became the pacifist who sought to establish Mothers Day as an antidote to war, and the horrors of war.
It would be nice if we could get back to that original concept.
Mothers Day, the one day in the year where the women, the Mothers, stand side by side in their condemnation of the ills of society.
The Wars
The Poverty
The Injustice
Mothers Day is a solemn, if happy day. It is not a trite "Hallmark" day, and I'd love that we celebrated it as such.
Meanwhile ..... Mum, have a great day!