~A Bitter Swallow~

Anyone recognize the name of Anna Jarvis ? If you are celebrating this day, you should remember it. Ms. Jarvis is the founder of mother's day. She gave a memorial for her own mother on May 12th, 1907, and embarked on a mission to create a day special to mothers. She chose for it to be celebrated on a Sunday so that it would be a "holy" day, and on the 2nd Sunday in May, since that was when her own mother passed. Seven years later, in 1914, her goal became nationally recognized.



Anna Jarvis soon became embittered by the holiday she had created. It did not take long for this "holiday" to become emersed in the same commercialization as many of the other holidays. What was meant to be a celebration of Mom became just another push for companies to market their wares, and the thought that in order to celebrate you had to spend spend spend became ingrained in the minds of Americans. Anna Jarvis and her sister wound up spending their inheritance on campaigning against the very holiday she had fought to so hard to create, and both died in poverty. She is quoted as saying "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit." She opposed the selling of flowers and also the use of greeting cards: "a poor excuse for the letter you are too lazy to write."

Anna Jarvis never married, and never had any children of her own.


In this respect, I wanted to take the time out of my day, and post my thoughts on mother's day. Personally.. I could care less for "bought" items. While I appreciate the thought and effort that goes into this process, I know the struggle, and the stress of trying to pick out that perfect gift in time. For me, a nice dinner with my family is all I need to have a perfect day (and I get that this year!). Coming home to a clean house so that I can just relax and not have to worry about cleaning up (my kids are in cleaning their rooms as we speak...can this day get any better??). Getting a back rub and watching my choice of TV, movie or game... (I got that this morning first thing!).


Of course though, there are always those who will not feel right without dropping some cash on mom for Mother's Day. In thanks, I thought, to help de-stress some of you, I would give a few suggestions for those who are bound and determined to buy something.

* Flowers- for those of you who want to get your mom flowers, it is a beautiful thought. However, cut bouquets die. How about letting her constantly remember your gift and thought of her throughout the year by getting her a pretty potted flower, or -even better- going over with some yard tools, pots, soil and seeds or starters, and getting down and playing in the dirt together while weeding and planting!

* Jewelry- I'm not big on jewelry. Never have been. And the jewelry I do like tends to be on the less expensive side, so I'm easy! For mother's day, stick with something motherly if you are going to go with jewelry. There are so many options out there now for mothers, from the I love mom pendants, to the mother's jewelry with the children's birthstones. And those aren't just the rings anymore! Now they come in rings, pendants, bracelets... you name it! Don't forget items like key chains too!

* Dinner- this one you just can't go wrong with. Whether you take her out, or stay in and cook for her, as long as she doesn't to cook or clean, she's gonna be happy! Just keep in mind if you do decide to go out, that waits will be long! Make sure to make reservations, or get there early to account for having to wait to be seated!

* Spa treatments- I normally don't do this, due to the cost. However, if the cost isn't an issue for you, this could be great for mom. I suggest either going with her, or buying it for her and a friend. While these places are nice, it's usually better if you have a girlfriend to gab with too!

* Candy- be careful with this one. If mom is trying to diet and watch her weight..this isn't going to be the best option for her. Even if you are trying to tell her you think she looks fine.. Candy isn't going to convince her after she's eaten the whole box! Also, be sure to watch for allergies (such as to nuts or milk). Go small and sweet. Keep in mind the kind of treats you've seen her relish in the past. If she's not crazy for creme filled chocolate, then that big box of creme filled chocolates you just bought her isn't going to come to much. Instead, why not be the one to take her out to ice cream!?

* Cards- this is nice, if you are so long distance that you cannot call or come over. However, if you send a card, make sure to drop a note in there as well! Let mom know how things are going, what you are up to, etc etc. Maybe go even a step further, and do something reminiscent, like describing one of your most treasured moments with her! Keep it sentimental (it can be funny too!) and real. Something that is more than just someone else's preprinted words on a card picked up on whim while standing at the grocery store.


In line with the ideas of being creative and specially tailored to mom, I came across the idea of "survival kits". These little kits could be created for a plethora of reasons, and were very sweet and thoughtful. Inside, you can include things like Hershey's hugs and kisses, to represent your love, band aids for hurt feelings, string because she's the one who tied everyone together, a star to represent her shining personality.. you get the picture. It takes some time to put together suitable objects and marking what they represent, but it shows the thought that went into it, and the care.


Hope this helps some of you wandering out there without any idea what to do. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms, and please please please add to my ideas here! Lets start getting what we want! hehe...