Today is Mother’s Day, so most of us here in the States, will reach out to our mothers with genuine care and love. Not because it’s a national holiday, but because we love them, greatly. For myself… being a mother… I have the blessing of my children reaching out to me with kindness and the desire to talk if we are far away, or visit and enjoy each other’s company today. This is marvelous!
Yet… the origins of all current holidays seem to be much deeper and honest than how we now celebrate them. Easter was Eostre and the celebration of the equinox, fertility, new life, new beginnings – fun stuff. Christmas falls on winter Solstice (close enough anyway), which is about the promise of the spring, new life and all powerful sun returning. Mother’s Day doesn’t go back to the matri-focal times, or when humans’ spiritual currency was found in the earth, sky, plants and animals. Mother’s Day originated in the 19th century.
She is from the Civil War era, but she could be the woman I saw the other day in town… with her child. Time and culture doesn’t change the love of a mother for her child…
The initiation of a day for mothers was not one of celebration, but for mourning women to remember fallen soldiers & work for peace. It was to speak to all the mothers who continually lost their sons (and daughters) to wars. Generation after generation of women’s children being shipped off to fight wars speaks volumes about us. We value life less than we value power & are therefore willing to continue to sacrifice our precious children to war after war.
The originators of this, now Hallmark holiday, were interested in equality for women and the preservation of life. They started hosting Mother’s Friendship Day Picnics in the 1850’s that were pacifist events, uniting former foes (Ann Reeves Jarvis, her daughter Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe, in particular). In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic penned the Mother’s Day Proclamation, but an actual holiday wasn’t initiated until 1908, which was quickly appropriated by the cultural schmarmy holiday filled with mimosas, breakfast in bed and cards that we see today.
Don’t get me wrong, I personally love the one day where there is an acknowledgment to women who are mothers. Nothing at all wrong with that and in my family, it’s become a lovely time to stop working for longer than a few minutes and just bask in the wonder of my family.
Still… wonder if we took a few moments today and said a prayer for the many mothers who are in tremendous pain, having lost their children to violence and war. That we recognize the effect of small minds that uphold what darkness delivers, not the full heart of love all divine beings possess & banish it from our lives.
We are all contained in pure Truth, which is love.
A mother’s love for her child is the purest example and image of what keeps us divine. It is this profound love that will ultimately save us from ourselves one day.
Today I mourn with you, while i celebrate the abundance that the mother’s heart delivers to their children, but also to this beautiful planet.
“Love is our Mother and
The way of our Prophet.
Yet it is in our nature
To fight with Love.
We can’t see you, mother,
Hidden behind dark veils
Woven by ourselves.– Rumi”
