Did you know that Mother’s Day was founded by an aunt? According to SavvyAuntie.com, Anna Jarvis, who never had children of her own, was responsible for creating Mother’s Day. She was close with her mother, who had often told Anna that she hoped someone would one day establish a memorial for all mothers, living and dead. After she died, Anna campaigned for a holiday in honor of all mothers.
And hence: Mother’s Day.
What an amazing story.
Every Mother’s Day, I look forward to being showered with love by my family, but I always think shouldn’t it be the whole year? While I am grateful to Jarvis for acknowledging how important mothers are, I think the gratitude should come more than once a year. It’s interesting that my kids are spending all week making me gifts at school and my husband is banging his head against the wall, wondering what to do for me. When in actual fact, they should think of me all the time as I do them.
It’s equally important to show our aunts how much we love them on Mother’s Day, and really ALL WOMEN who love children. I have two fantastic sisters who are marvelous aunts, and several sister-in-laws who are pretty amazing to my children, and I also love being an aunt to my nine nieces and nephews who live all over the world. That’s why I think Melanie Notkin’s Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-aunts, GodMothers, and All Women Who Love Kids is a great resource for all of women. She makes it clear that we all have important roles in a child’s life. That couldn’t be more true. There are so many women, family members, teachers, friends who have children and don’t who have HUGE effects on the lives of my children.
Read what my friend, Eve Lederman, has to say about the huge decisions she is facing as a woman who doesn’t have a child. She’ll be on my mind this Sunday. A cast member of Listen to Your Mother, I have read her entry in the NYT Motherlode several times.
“Yet why do I feel like I don’t belong — in this performance, with my siblings’ families, even on this planet — when 18 percent of American women are childless through age 44? Perhaps because childbearing feels inextricably linked to womanhood and self worth, and I would argue that you can’t separate your head and heart from your hormones, any more than border collies can stop herding or salmon can swim downstream.”
This Sunday, I will spend the day with not only my mom, but my sister, who has a special place in our hearts and lives and we will celebrate ALL OF US. I will also be channeling Melanie Notkin and Eve Lederman and every woman who deserves a celebration.
Disclosure: I was not provided with a copy of this book. I bought my own copy and all opinions are my own.
Recent Comments