On May 10, 1908, Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. That service became the first celebration of a new holiday called Mother’s Day.
Jarvis had begun her campaign three years earlier, after the death of her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis. By 1911, every state in the Union was celebrating Mother’s Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.
But within a few years, Jarvis became disillusioned. Card companies, flower shops, and candy makers turned her beloved holiday into big business. Soon she was protesting the very holiday she had worked so hard to create. In 1943, she even began a petition to rescind Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother’s Day, grew to despise the holiday.
I am no Anna Jarvis. I love Mother’s Day. It gives us a beautiful opportunity to thank God for the vital role mothers play in the lives and faith of their children. The greatest lesson my mother ever taught me was what it means to love God and be loved by him. My mom showed me Jesus in the way she prayed, forgave, served, and loved.
Mother’s Day has become a multimillion-dollar industry. Cards, flowers, candy, and restaurant reservations are not wrong. They can be thoughtful gifts. But commercialism can quietly teach us that love is something we purchase once a year instead of something we practice every day.
Sadly, for many in our world today, Mother’s Day is not a happy day at all. For mothers who have lost children, for children who have lost mothers, and for women who long for children, the holiday can be a painful reminder of grief, loss, and unfulfilled hopes.
Unlike Anna Jarvis, I’m not trying to discourage you from celebrating Mother’s Day. But this year, as you celebrate, don’t let commercialism define what love looks like. Even better than buying her flowers or taking her out to eat, give her the gift of your time. Go to church with your mom this Sunday. Pray with and for her.
Thank her for all she has done for you. Honor her. Forgive her. Support her. Love her not only on Mother’s Day, but throughout the year.
And please be sensitive to those who are hurting this Mother’s Day. Be aware of the women around you who long for the gift of motherhood but have not received it. Be understanding of those who feel the pain of loss more deeply on Mother’s Day.
In the end, Anna Jarvis was right about one thing.
Mothers deserve more than flowers. They deserve our time, our prayers, our honor, and our love—not just on Mother’s Day, but every day of the year.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon. com.
