This weekend is Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has had many different iterations throughout history. Oddly enough the woman, Anna Jarvis, who organized the first observance of today’s version of Mother’s Day in the United States (1908), ended up petitioning against Mother’s Day for the latter portion of her life. Interestingly, Anna Jarvis wasn’t a mother herself. https://www.rd.com/list/
While researching the origins of Mother’s Day I was curious of what Mother’s Day represents, or is supposed to represent. After all, all of us aren’t Mothers! Of course, we all have a mom, that part is biological. But what if our mother is no longer with us, or we have never known our mother, is it just another Sunday in May? In this view the day could be downright depressing.
In reading the historical origins and twists of Mother’s Day, I came across the phrase “mother lode” ascribed to mothers as an “abundant source of love”. This phrase triggered an article I read previously this week defining love, not in Cupid’s term, but as any “positive emotion”. The author, Lynne Everatt, among other things, explains how our day-to-day interactions (love) we show is a predictor on how long, healthily, and happily one might live. She continues on with various ways we can have positive interactions, or show love, to others we meet during our day. How these interactions are beneficial to not only our lives but those we’ve interacted with also. https://www.linkedin.com/
Reflecting back on Mother’s Day and what it represents, I don’t think the “abundance of love” should just be reserved for Mom’s this weekend. I think if we all demonstrated some “positive resonance” it would make any Mother’s heart smile. To reference Lynne Everatt’s article once more, I’ll end with the words from What a Wonderful World (go ahead, click on the blue words)
“I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying ‘I love you…’”
Please remember that we are “here” and available for you as well. If you have any questions or concerns, financial or otherwise, please do not hesitate to call or email. If you have friends, family, or neighbors you feel would benefit from a conversation with me, I’m more than happy to have a call or jump on a Zoom meeting with them.
As always, I hope that you are doing well, and staying safe & healthy!