Happy Mother’s Day !
I dedicate this blog
post to my mother for all of her unconditional love that she provided for our
family.
One of the most
important day for florists and chocolate makers is this Sunday which is of course
is Mother’s Day. Originally when Anne Jarvis started the campaign for mother’s
day to be an official holiday, it was met with resistance and did not come with
any commercial association. Mother’s Day quickly caught on because of
Jarvis’s zealous letter writing and promotional campaigns across the country
and the world.
However,
as with many worthy endeavors this met some firm resistance. In 1909 several
senators mocked the very idea of a Mother’s Day holiday. Senator Henry Moore
Teller scorned the resolution as "absolutely absurd”. He announced, "Every day with me is a
mother's day." Senator Jacob Gallinger judged the very idea of Mother's
Day to be an insult, as though his memory of his late mother "could only
be kept green by some outward demonstration on Sunday, May 10."
This
didn't deter Jarvis. She enlisted the help of organizations like the World’s
Sunday School Association, and the holiday sailed through Congress with little
opposition in 1914.
The
floral industry wisely supported Jarvis’s Mother’s Day movement. She accepted
their donations and spoke at their conventions. With each subsequent Mother’s
Day, the wearing of carnations became a must-have item. Florists across the
country quickly sold out of white carnations around Mother’s Day—newspapers
told stories of hoarding and profiteering. The floral industry later came up
with an idea to diversify sales by promoting the practice of wearing red or
bright flowers in honor of living mothers, and white flowers for deceased moms.
Jarvis soon soured on the commercial interests associated with the day. She
wanted Mother’s Day “to be a day of sentiment, not profit.” Beginning around
1920, she urged people to stop buying flowers and other gifts for their
mothers, and she turned against her former commercial supporters. She referred
to the florists, greeting card manufacturers and the confectionery industry as
“charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and termites that would
undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and
celebrations.”
That being said, it is important to have a day that recognizes the true
heroes on this planet. I am referring to all the moms out there. They invest
sleepless nights for the betterment of their kids. They provide physical and emotional
care that each child can thrive in their environment.
There are so many things in life that may seem obvious but are left unsaid.
We are so busy that many times it is the most basic things like hugging our
kids or saying” I Love you “ that fall through the cracks. For those of us that
are fortunate to have our mom around, let us take advantage of this day and not lose the opportunity to thank our moms for everything they have done for us.
I have included a video for you to watch this week. Please share your thoughts.
