Taking the “Hallmark” Out of Mother’s Day
For nearly a century, we have recognized Mother’s Day as a national holiday that celebrates the special bond between mother and child. It began in 1870 as the Mother’s Day Proclamation, an attempt to call women together in support of disarmament. Later on, a woman named Anna Jarvis took up the cause to fulfill her mother’s dream of creating a celebration of mothers. President Woodrow Wilson finally declared it an official holiday in 1914.
Since then, it has become more of a “Hallmark holiday” than a simple celebration. Between the stress of finding the perfect gift, battling mall traffic (resorting to the use of elbows in order to grab the last pink silk scarf at Nordstrom’s), and the onslaught of retail advertisements, it is easy to give up and ask for this once-simple holiday to be over. However, the National Retail Federation, for one, is excited about the economic prospects of the coming holiday, estimating that the average consumer will spend an average of $152.52 on gifts for mom. All of this hustle and bustle comes to a grand total of (drum roll, please) $18.6 billion. I believe our economy owes us a “thank you.”
But all this aside, most mothers aren’t excited for Mother’s Day to unwrap gifts that put a dent in one’s wallet. Of moms surveyed in a recent poll taken by NBC, 98% prefer hugs and kisses or time with family over expensive gifts.
Next weekend, bring back the old tradition of celebrating the mom (or moms) in your life. Remind her why she is special. Without my mom, I would have said “yes” to a dare to cut my own hair, or “no” to a daily dose of vegetables. I wouldn’t have been proud of my high school drawing that now hangs in a frame in the family room. Because of her, I worked hard, took risks, and faced my insecurities. But most importantly, I learned how to be a good person. That part was easy: all I had to do was watch her.
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