Mother's Day, 2008

Today I miss my mother even though she has been gone for twenty-five years. It is a day for remembering and giving thanks for mothers. And for grandmothers. I think of my great-grandmothers too.

For the last few days, gratefulness.org, one of my favorite web-sites, has been featuring a link to the proclamation of 1870 by Julia Ward Howe for a Mother's Peace Day. This is the beginning of Mother's Day. I like this concept of a Mother's peace day even more than our current, rather commercial one. She urged women to come together for a gathering to "take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace."

The link to her entire proclamation can be found here

http://www.chiff.com/a/mothers-day-origins.htm

Julia Ward Howe also wrote the lyrics to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Let's think of having a Mother's Peace Day. Peace activities could include planting flowers, sending money to CARE, making sure that everyone has health care that includes dental and eye care (as our current Medicare does not); making sure that seniors are not consigned to lives of poverty.

Tomorrow is nurse's day. It is fitting for me to remember my Mama on that day too for she was a nurse. Her beautiful graduation picture taken of her in her starched white uniform and cap, hands folded in her lap sits on the buffet across the room from where I sit typing on my laptop. She was a care-taker and care-giver par excellence and I remember her competence and service to others, as well as her love and laughter.

She would enjoy the flowers that I have been reveling in these last few days and the chocolate cookies I baked this morning.

Requiescat in Pace, Helen Rose, and Agnes Elizabeth, Mary, Rose, Marguerite Ann, Margaret Ann and Rose. Mama and my grandmothers and great-grandmothers who rest from their labor now. I hope you are all, starting with Mama, rejoicing in heaven and that flowers bloom all the time there. I am grateful for you all, for the memories of your lives, good cooks all, devout women and mothers without whom I would not be here enjoying modern technology--and flowers and chocolate cookies.