An Early Tribute To Mother’s Day-Sort of!

As you know, May 11, 2008 is that Hallmark “holiday” we know as Mother’s Day.  Don’t forget about it–your mother is the reason you exist (partially) and therefore deserve at least one day a year to be honored.  Where did this hysteria come from anyway?  Where did this idea to have a day that if you forget about it, you will be riddled with guilt trips for 364 solid days following?  (that was good grammar)

Anyway, as I sit here with my shirt untucked, my bed unmade, my hair uncombed and fresh from a brisk run with scissors where I talked to strangers and pet dogs I didn’t know, I thought I should take a little time to think about this upcoming day of fun and excitement.

Where did it come from?  One site says the following:

In the times of the ancient Greeks, Rhea, the Mother of the Gods,  was honored with a special festival. In seventeenth century England, “Mothering Sunday,” celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent, honored England’s mothers.

Jumping across the ocean, the first observation of a Mother’s Day in the United States took place in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe, social reformer and poet who penned the words to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” suggested a day to honor mothers. This day, which she felt should be dedicated to peace, was celebrated by gatherings that she organized and held in Boston.  In 1907, Anna Jarvis took Howe’s idea a step further and began to campaign for a nationally recognized Mother’s Day.  On 9th of May 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official proclamation that Mother’s Day would be a national holiday to be celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May.

So there you have it–a little history of the day.  Now, to get you in the spirit, let’s talk about some famous mothers:

1.  HILLARY CLINTON’S MOM

Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham. Yes, she also has four names just like her daughter–its a thing in her family dating back to one of their great ancestors, Josef Gustav “Jack” Stalin.  (okay-I made that up).  She was a woman who was marred to a “rough and abusive” man named Hugh Rodham.  She has rarely given interviews and when asked about her daughter running for President she said “I know she will do great.”  One has to wonder if Hillary has kept her out of the spotlight for her own good or because her mother has no degree, never worked outside the home, and may not be the feminist Hillary portrays.  Hmmmm….In any event, I give kudos to her.  Anyone that could live with Hillary for 18 years is obviously a saint. 

2.  BARACK OBAMA’S MOM

Stanley Ann Dunham.  Yes, her name is “Stanley.”  Very little has been said about her during the campaign except that she died in 1995 of cancer and that she is white.  But what else do we know about the woman who shaped the man of “hope” and “change?”  Well according to the Chicago Tribune–for one thing she was an athiest.  That’s right, his original father was Muslim, his mother was athiest and what of his stepfather?–Haven’t been able to run that down yet.  But we all know that Obama is a Christian, gaining his perspective on life and religion from Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  (oohhh, sorry–I just felt a cold chill).  She was named Stanley after her father who really wanted a boy.  Nice!  Her friends describe her as saracastic, non-conforming and angry.  Obama said this about his mother in a recent interview: “the dominant figure in my formative years. . . . The values she taught me continue to be my touchstone when it comes to how I go about the world of politics.”

The “touchstone?”  Non-conformity for the sake of rebellion?  Athiesm?  yeesh!  Well, I suppose she should get kudos for walking around the world with the self-proclaimed messiah of change and the fact that she had to live with her name.

Hmmm… Maybe I’ve chosen the wrong mothers to make a point.

Well, In any event, don’t forget about yours–she helped make you and shape you.  She may have given you the occasional bad advice or guilt trip–but all in all, you literally owe your life to her–so take 1 day at least out of your busy schedule and honor her.  It’s a Commandment after all.  And remember–you could have ended up with Dorothy or Stanley.  Worse, you could have ended up with one of these:

-Murphy

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