(first published May 2011)

It’s May, the month of flowers which result from April Showers. It’s also the month in which Mother’s Day occurs in the US. I’m sitting in my mother’s home, thinking about how lucky I’ve been to have her for my mother. Now, I’m sure that about 99% of all my friends, and of those people I don’t know, feel the same about their mothers. Maybe more than 99%.

Mothers have been recognized by special celebrations since ancient times. Beginning with the ancient Greeks and Romans festivals were kept for Cybele, a mother of Greek gods; and for Juno on the Roman holiday Matronalia.

“One of the early calls to celebrate Mother's Day in the United States was the "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe. Written in 1870, it was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.” (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Mother’s_Day)

Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864, Webster, West Virginia — November 24, 1948, West Chester, Pennsylvania) is the founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States. Mother’s Day became a national holiday in the United States in 1914, just a few years after being first celebrated officially in West Virginia, thanks to Jarvis’ efforts. As the US holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK, or the Orthodox celebration of Jesus in the temple in Greece. In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries, or the birthday of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic countries.

How important is Mother in your life? From Islam comes this teaching: (http://www.articlesbase.com/ezines-and-newsletters-articles/muhammad-paradise-lies-at-the-feet-of-mothers-2836850.html)

A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked him, "Who amongst my near ones has the greatest right over me?" Muhammad replied, "Your mother".

The man then asked, "Who after that?" The Prophet replied again, "Your mother".

The man then asked, who is next, and the Prophet again replied, "Your mother".

The man then asked, who after that, and then the Prophet said, "Your father".

According to the website, this Hadith (teaching) illustrates that a mother deserves service, love, submission, obedience and gratitude from the children...a mother generally makes more sacrifices and endures greater hardships than a father while bringing up the children. She feeds them and takes care of them by sacrificing her comforts in the day and her sleep in the night without any greed or compulsion but only out of sheer love and affection...she renders three important services to her children which cannot be done by the father. The mother bears the burden of the child during pregnancy, stands the pains of delivery, and then feeds the child from her breasts. (http://www.articlesbase.com/ezines-and-newsletters-articles/muhammad-paradise-lies-at-the-feet-of-mothers-2836850.html)

May you celebrate your mother every day, not just on Mother’s Day, and be thankful for her.