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Friday, May 08, 2009

Honoring Mothers and Mothers' Day

This Sunday is Mother's Day in the US, Canada, Australia and a number of other countries. The UK has Mothering Sunday during Lent when mothers are appreciated. As I now live in the UK, and my mother lives in the US, I do have to remember the US date as my mother prefers to celebrate Mother's Day on Mother's Day rather than on Mothering Sunday.
As I am sure you know, Mother's Day was chiefly the work of one woman -- Anna Jarvis. She wanted to honor her mother and to celebrate the role of the woman in the family. She began handing out carnations at her church in 1907, choosing the Sunday closest to her mother's birthday. The movement took off and in 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed the bill making the second Sunday of May Mother's Day in the US. Later Anna Jarvis denounced the day as it had become far too commercialised. But the day remains and mothers do like to think they are appreciated.
It is interesting that it started in this time period. International Women's Day which is celebrated at the beginning of March (particularly in Italy as the Festa della Donna) started as a result of the 1907 fire in New York City. Many of the seamstresses who were killed were Italian.
But whenever you celebrate, I do think mothers and motherhood are well worth celebrating.
Thankfully, my lot understand that often the gift of time and a romance novel are what I want.
Anyway, as a mother, one of my great joys is to read some of the quotes about motherhood. My aunt sent through some yesterday and so I wanted to share some with you. Does anyone else have any good quotes or sayings about being a mother?
All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.--Abraham Lincoln
My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my
mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and
physical education I received from her.--George Washington
A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.--Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all.--Oliver Wendell Holmes
The joys of motherhood are never fully experienced until the children are in bed.--Author Unknown.
Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each
wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate.--Charlotte Gray
A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.--Peter De Vries
It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.--Barbara Kingsolver
God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.-- Jewish proverb

Michelle Styles's latest release in the UK was Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife.

11 comments:

Helen said...

I love the quotes Michelle. Mothers are so special I lost my Mum 7 years ago and there is not a day that goes past that I do not think of her. My Mum was also the wonderful lady who opened up my world to historical romance and I am forever grateful to her.
I am a Mum and Grandmother myself and we are going on a picnic on Sunday and I am really looking forward to it I hope the weather stays a s lovely as it has been here in Sydney.

I hope everyones Mothers Day is filled with love and fun

Have Fun
Helen

Unknown said...

Both my son and I were born on Mother's Day so our family has a lot to celebrate and I still have the most wonderful mom on earth. Here's a poem I once gave her.

What is a Mother's love?

It is something that is very, very special.

It is something that no one can really explain.

It's something that is made up of much deep devotion, joy, pain and sacrifice.

It is endless and unselfish and it endures whatever may come.

It is full of hopes, dreams, tears and pleasure.

Nothing can ever destroy it or take that special love away.

It is very patient and forgiving.

A Mother's love is a lifelong commitment to selflessness.

More often than not, it requires much more giving than receiving.

But it is something that is given with delight,gratitude, enthusiasm and much satisfaction.

A Mother's love never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking

It is always believing when all the rest of the world is condemning.

A Mother's love is a splendored miracle that man cannot nderstand.

It is something that cannot be measured, for it has no beginning or no end.

Author: Penny Porter

Unknown said...

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Michelle Styles said...

Have a great time on your picnic, Helen.

Marilyn -- that is a fanstic poem! Thank you for sharing.

Estella said...

I like the quotes.

Pat Cochran said...

A couple of the quotes I had heard before, but I enjoyed reading them all! Thanks for sharing! My Mother's
Day wish is always the same: all my
children gathered together for a
meal. This year two will be working,
but their children will be with us!

Pat Cochran

Caffey said...

Beautiful quotes and too the history on Mother's day!

My mom was a beautiful woman and a great mom. As being her child that was deaf, we made alot of our own signs and there were so many ways we communicated without any words. There's so many ways to express love. I remember when my daughter was younger and she asked me 'How do you hear your mom say I Love you?' And it was then I told her about the different ways that we communicated and too that I did to let her know I thinking of her too (Bringing a romance book home from the library, doing a chore she didn't like to do, giving her a hug for no reason etc). I don't know many quotes but one of my favorites were:

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.
by Helen Keller

Michele L. said...

I loved reading your quotes! Thanks for sharing them! My mom is in a rehab center right now recovering from a broken hip.

Mom's are so precious, one of a kind, dear to our hearts, no one else compares to them, they share our secrets, wipe away our tears and laugh with us over life's problems. I make every second count with my mom since you don't know when they won't be there anymore. My mom is 84 and still looking good! People always say that she looks a lot younger than that.

Don't have a quote but here is some sage advice,

Quality time spent with mom is the best present you can give her.

Unknown said...

I like those quotes :)

Alison said...

My brother lives in New Zealand, which also celebrates the later day, so I need to remind him every year when Mothering Sunday is!

Michelle Styles said...

Thank you one and all for sharing your lovely stories and quotes about your mothers.

Mothers are so speacial! I hope everyone has a great day.

My mother enjoyed her flowers...