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Mothers (most of 'em anyway) are great. They're loving and selfless and will stand behind their kids no matter how damning the prosecution's evidence. For these reasons and more, a woman named Anna M. Jarvis started the Mother's Day tradition in the early 20th century. Ms. Jarvis, though never a mother herself, was extremely devoted to her own mom. After the elder Jarvis passed away in 1905, Anna began seeking ways to honor not only her own mom, but all mothers. She started by organizing a Mother's Day Memorial Committee at her local church, but that was just the beginning. Over the years, Jarvis
wrote letters and gave speeches pushing for a national holiday. Alas, the vast majority "fell on deaf ears." Still, Jarvis pressed on, and by 1909, "forty-five states, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico observed the day." In 1914, a resolution was passed by Congress and approved by President Woodrow Wilson, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The holiday has been around ever since. It's worth noting that Jarvis wanted to keep Mother's Day from becoming commercialized. Obviously she wasn't able to do that, but you can still celebrate the way Ms. Jarvis intended -- skip the overpriced flowers and just spend a little time with Mom instead.
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