There are many things in this world that influence human life, but mothers occupy a place at, or near, the top of that list. What mothers do and what they are profoundly influence the lives of their children, and most children grow up to be what their mothers teach them to be. Who of us cannot say with Abraham Lincoln, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

May 14 is the second Sunday in May. For a hundred and two years, since President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day as a national holiday to honor mothers, the second Sunday in May has been a special day throughout the United States. On that day, we, in many ways, pause and recognize the importance of our mothers and the tremendous influence they have had upon our lives.

The tradition of Mother’s Day in America began in 1905 when Mrs. Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, died. Immediately, her daughter, Miss Anna Jarvis, wanted to honor her mother, and she began to look for ways to do so. In 1908, Miss Jarvis asked the pastor of St. Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, to have a special service to honor her mother and other mothers who had worked with her over the years in that congregation. The pastor responded to her request and worked with Miss Jarvis to accomplish it, and that service was held on Sunday, May 10, 1908. The effort of Miss Jarvis came to full fruition when the second Sunday in May was designated as a national holiday. 

While a national holiday is important, good mothers deserve more than a special day of recognition. The loving care of good mothers and the molding influence they have upon developing children deserve to be recognized and appreciated every day of every year.

As you gather around the dinner table on Mother’s Day, take a moment to tell your mother how much you really love her and what she means to you. Then, put those words into action by living them!