Mother's Day

Say It With Weeds
It's the time of year when little yellow flowers start to overtake the lawn. Perhaps you're not partial to this plant and refuse to call it anything but a weed. "Dandelions, that blooming weed." It seems appropriate that Mother's Day and dandelion season should occur at the same time of the year. When I see adandelion, I usually think of mom.

Remember when you were a child? Probably one of your first gifts to your mom was a bouquet of dandelions. It's likely that they were carefully picked to yield a handful of flowers on stems that ranged from 1/8" to 2" long. Before presenting them to Mom, the smaller stemmed flowers melted in your hand leaving a yellow stain as a memento of your thoughtfulness. The tightly held bouquet was a simple gift, which made the message attached to it very evident. Only a mother could love something so small, simple and unruly. (The reference is to the dandelions, not the child, although an argument for either could be made.) Regardless of type, flowers seem to be synonymous with mothers and Mother's Day.

Anna Jarvis is usually given credit for the modern-day Mother's Day observance. Two years after her mother died, on the second Sunday of May, she invited friends to her home and told them of her plans to start a Mother's Day. She began a campaign for the national observance. On May 10, 1908, three years after her mother's death, a service in her WestVirginia church, as well as a Philadelphia church service, honored mothers. Miss Jarvis furnished carnations, her mother's favorite flower, to all who attended the service. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia issued a Mother's Day proclamation and soon many states followed suit. On May 7, 1940, a resolution was introduced in Congress to make the second Sunday in May a national holiday: Mother's Day. Two days later, President Wilson ordered the Stars and Stripes to be flown on this holiday. Churches initially carried out the celebration, but later the holiday expanded to include sending various gifts to Mom. Miss Jarvis disliked the commercialism that had become part of the Mother's Day observance. She felt so strongly about the business-type promotion of Mother's Day that she pursued litigation. Despite her attempts to restore the original means of celebrating, the buying of gifts for Mom continued. It persisted and expanded in an effort to show Mom that she is loved.

Perhaps this year's gift of jewelry might effectively show your affection to Mom. Maybe a phone call or a card could convey the message. A hybrid plant could succeed in showing Mom that she is cherished. A dandelion bouquet with a kiss…well, she knew she was special to your when she received it when you were young.