Happy Mother's Day
To all the mothers and supporters who help us reach our goals, Happy Mother’s Day!
Origins: The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. Ancient Roots: Ancient Greece and ancient India (3100 B.C. to 476 A.D.) held early events to honor mothers. Middle Ages History: European cultures during the Middle Ages (476 A.D. to 1500 A.D.) honored mothers during Easter.
Mother's Day is important because it provides a day to celebrate and acknowledge the vital role mothers play in our lives and society. It's a time to express gratitude, appreciation, and love for the selfless dedication mothers make in nurturing, guiding, and supporting their families. Beyond the practical aspect of raising children, Mother's Day also serves as a reminder of the impact mothers have on a child's development, including their social, emotional, and academic success.
Holidays can be a tricky thing though. Do we wait to celebrate, honor, or show our appreciation until the actual day or should we celebrate every day? The latter is best. No, that does not mean you have to leave up your Christmas tree all year long.
The story of Mother's Day is multilayered and essential throughout time. Early America was deeply tied to the strength and active support of women. From the first colonial shores to the creation of a cherished national holiday, these milestones trace a path of courage, legacy, and maternal grace.
Jamestown (1607) marked the establishment of the first permanent English settlement in the New World, laying the early groundwork for a changing landscape.
The Mayflower Arrival (1620) brought 102 settlers to the shores of Massachusetts at Plymouth, creating a second vital anchor for English life in North America.
Susanna White Winslow (1620) sailed aboard the Mayflower as one of three expectant mothers. She welcomed her new baby in the New World, living on as a powerful symbol of early colonial motherhood and domestic fortitude.
The Pilgrim Mothers Statue (1920) was commissioned in Plymouth by the Daughters of the American Revolution for the 300th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. Sculpted to honor the women who made the journey, it proudly bears the names of those pioneering females on its reverse side.
Mother's Day (1908–1914) blossomed from the vision of Anna Jarvis, who sought to honor her own mother’s dream of celebrating maternal love. The first official service took place in Grafton, West Virginia, and the movement grew so swiftly that President Woodrow Wilson declared it a national holiday just six years later.
In "The Lanyard", Billy Collins captured the spirit of childhood, time with mom, and the significance of the relationship and bonds between mothers and children.
"The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard...
...I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother..."
Included in his book The Trouble with Poetry.
 |
| Mom, You're Fired! by Nancy K. Robinson and other great books are available on Amazon. |
Author Nancy Robinson also famously captured the relationship of mothers and children, the changes, and adaptations each makes over time. Robinson wrote more than 20 books before dying of cancer at age 51. Mom, You're Fired! is a dynamic book to read at any age. One to read with your child of any age.
Nature, nurture, environment, and circumstances. Each is a factor in the development of individuals and relationships. In Bad Childhood---Good Life, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, explained the challenge of some mother-child relationships, "Unfortunately, a lot of people are made to suffer as children: beatings, rapes, torture, abandonment, neglect, parental divorce and subsequent remarriage with new or stepchildren to compete with, alcoholic or drug-addicted parent(s), erratic and even dangerous consequences of parental mental illness, browbeatings, parental insensitivity, psychological and emotional assaults, parental affairs, constant family turmoil, molestations, familial violence, single parent by choice or irresponsibility, and so forth. They are definitely victims of self-centered, evil, ignorant, and/or weak adults; and, for me, weakness or ignorance do not excuse the resultant harm."
The recipe to nurturing healthy, successful, confident kids might just come down to two powerful ingredients: active family engagement and the environment we build at home. Findings highlight just how much a parent’s background and daily involvement shape a child's future. Researchers at University College London Medical School found that a father’s educational background and career path have a major ripple effect on their children. It turns out that a parent's resources directly enrich the "intellectual home environment." When parents have the right tools, they can interact more deeply and invest more high-quality time into their children's growth.
Yet it doesn't stop at the front door. Data compiled by Youth.gov reinforces that when families of all backgrounds actively show up for their kids, the outcomes are transformative. Strong family engagement acts as a superpower for child development, leading to:
Higher academic achievement, better school performance, and life-long learning.
Stronger, healthier relationships between parents, teachers, and students.
Fewer disciplinary issues and a more positive overall school climate.
Even in challenging situations, like navigating the juvenile justice system, most families can become incredible partners in steering youth toward better futures when they are given the right support. Ultimately, creating a supportive, resource-rich home and staying deeply connected to our kids' lives are some of the greatest we can make for their self-actualization (happiness), growth, and development.
Overall, building a strong family foundation through active engagement and an enriched home environment is the key. A supportive home environment builds stronger skills, thinking, and learning for children. Partnering with teachers and schools improves student progress, achievement, and citizenship. Working together creates a positive community that guides youth through every stage of growth. Small daily actions by moms creates wonderful memories, lasting bonds, and lots of love. We appreciate the moms that show up, stay involved, invest in themselves, their children, and our communities.
Join the Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven circle:
Bibliography
Amazon.com
Britannica Editors. "Lent". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lent.
Google LM
How Did Mother’s Day Start? | Britannica, www.britannica.com/question/How-did-Mothers-Day-start.
“Impact of Family Engagement.” Impact of Family Engagement | Youth.Gov, youth.gov/youth-topics/family-engagement/impact.
“Jamestown and Plymouth: Compare and Contrast.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/jamestown-and-plymouth-compare-and-contrast.htm.
Noah Webster 250th | Archives Exhibitions and Blog | Noah Webster 250th | Amherst College, www.amherst.edu/library/archives/exhibitions/webster.
Parenting Practices and Intergenerational Associations in Cognitive Ability | International Journal of Epidemiology | Oxford Academic, academic.oup.com/ije/article/41/1/263/648453.
SMDPA - Pilgrim Mothers, sail1620.org/Pilgrim_Mothers.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment