Motherhood is worth celebrating

Published 1:13 pm Thursday, May 9, 2019

I am so happy a lady named Anna Reeves Jarvis decided in 1908 mothers should be celebrated.

She honored her mother at a memorial service at St. Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She said not only her own mother but all mothers should be honored since they do more for their children than anyone in the world.

However, it was not until 1914, before Mother’s Day would be celebrated in the U.S.

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President Woodrow Wilson designated Mother’s Day to be recognized on the second Sunday of May every year and to be a national holiday.

Though she was the lady instrumental in drawing attention to the mothers , Anna Jarvis later became resentful the holiday became so commercialized. Her intent was for the holiday to be a sentimental holiday not a commercial holiday. She did not like that the card companies were making money off her idea.

Her idea was for families to get together with meals and love bestowed upon the mother with handwritten messages. I, for one, can tell you I have received many Mother’s Day cards that have made me cry. I think her intent is even greater today.

Even so, I am sure her mother must have felt proud of her on that particular Sunday morning when she honored her at church.

Personally, I have never accomplished anything in life greater than being a mother. I was never prepared in life for the love I would feel for my two daughters I gave birth to.

Not every woman gets to feel this accomplishment for one reason or another or for no other reason than God knew best for them to remain childless.

I often think of those who were able to have children and wonder why on earth they had a child if they were not going to take care of it. I have a disdain for women who do not take motherhood seriously since they were given a gift from God.

Every mother will agree, motherhood is not easy, but the rewards are worth every minute of it.

My love for my two daughters was the reason I did or did not do things in life.

I did not drink, curse or smoke because I did not want them to.

I am no saint, but I always feel someone may be watching my life to see what I do and I would be considered a stepping stone in their way.

In other words, I have tried hard to be a good mother.

I know I made mistakes like every other mom at one time or another. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can not live long enough to make them all yourself.”

I watched some mothers I knew I definitely did not want to be like and others I thought set great examples. I guess in some ways I patterned my mothering much like my mom did for me.

You may not know you are making a mistake as a parent until you are older. My daughters have accused me of being too strict. Looking back, I thought I was very lenient on them compared to the way I was raised.

I have a deep respect for women who are raising someone else’s children and pray for them. With my two step-children I found a new love for them, even if it is a different type of love, it is still love. I learned to love them on their own merits not mine. I learned to love them for themselves. I hope both of my step children would be able to tell anyone they know I love them.

I often think about the mothers who were unable to have children and adopted someone else’s child to love.

I also feel for grandmothers who have to raise their grandchildren.

I thank God for the mother I had who raised me in church and tried to steer me right.

I miss her so much and will never forget what she taught me as a child. I knew she loved me deeply and dearly.

I knew I could depend on her to be at my PTA Meetings at school every time she could when she did not work outside the home. Even though she had 37 surgeries in her lifetime and was sick in bed often, her mothering never quit.

She taught us cleanliness in more ways than one, both in our home and taking us to church.

She made quilts from scraps of old clothes to keep us warm at night.

Her name was the one we called out to when we were sick. We knew she would answer and be by our side.

She taught me how to be independent, how to cook, how to pray, all of these I am proud to say she taught me.

She lived in pain from a back injury that required her to have three spinal surgeries. My siblings and I had to work harder at home because of this but we never thought bad of her. I remember thinking as a child that if she were to die I would just want to be buried along with her. I guess you get the drift of how much I loved her. My love for her will forever be in my heart.

I want to wish every mother everywhere a happy Mother’s Day and say “thank you” to my daughters for making me Momma. You still make me smile.

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.