Sunday, May 13, 2012

it's what put anna in a bad mood

It's Mother's Day.  'Hope you are enjoying it, mothers and offspring of mothers alike.

I Googled "Mother's Day" to find out where the holiday came from.  According to Wikipedia (and of course Wikipedia is Gospel), the idea originated with a West Virginia woman named Anna Jarvis in 1907 to celebrate her own mother, and by 1914 she had succeeded in making it a national holiday, of sorts, and from the U.S. the idea spread to much of the world.

But reading further, I see that by the 1920s Anna became embittered because the holiday had already become so commercialized.  I love this quote from her:  "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world.  And candy!  You take a box to Mother -- and then eat most of it yourself.  A pretty sentiment."

I'm guessing that here in 2012 there are plenty of mothers who would have been thrilled to get a card or a box of candy.  I wonder how many got a "Happy Mother's Day" in a text!  Or not even that!

1 comment:

ruthie said...

I got a homemade card! I do know of a mom who got the message through text today though, lol :-)