Being the second Sunday of May, yesterday was celebrated as Mother’s Day, and malls and restaurants were probably crowded all over the country as most moms were given the day off from their usual duties in taking care of the family.
The modern tradition of Mother’s Day was established in the United States in 1908 by Anna Jarvis, who sought to honor her mother, who died in 1905, and to fulfill the latter’s wish for a day of honoring the sacrifices of mothers. The first official Mother’s Day service was held on May 10, 1908 in West Virginia, and after years of campaigning, then US President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure in 1914 designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to recognize the contribution of mothers.
Interestingly, the Philippines, which likes to imitate most things American, picked up the tradition only in the 1980s. We had a “Parents Day” on the first Monday of December, after President Manuel L. Quezon issued Proclamation No. 213 in 1937. But it was not until 1988 when President Corazon Aquino signed Proclamation No. 266, which aligned the holiday with the American tradition, making Mother’s Day the second Sunday of May and Father’s Day the third Sunday of June. Once it proved to be a commercial success just like Halloween and Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and even Grandparents Day have become regular holiday traditions that Filipinos like to celebrate.
Interestingly, Anna Jarvis, the original promoter of Mother’s Day, became deeply disillusioned with the rapid commercialization of the day, opposing the sale of flowers, cards, and candy. She even spent the latter part of her life fighting against its commercial exploitation, even threatening lawsuits. But you really can’t stop ‘progress’ and the best we can do at this point is to try to focus on the true meaning of commemorations like Mother’s Day, even if our only way of celebrating it is through massive commercial spending that ultimately benefits corporations and businesses as much as the mothers.
Gripes on its commercialization aside, Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day too) are well meaning celebrations that, if you come to think of it, are days that still hold value when it is celebrated with our mothers while they are still with us. As someone who lost his mother at an early age, I can say with authority that it is better to greet your own mom a “Happy Mother’s Day” while spending a meal with her, maybe even giving a card or a token, than it is to heartily greet all the other moms in your social circle as a poor substitute because you no longer have a mom around. It may be commercialized, trite, and corny, but in the end, Mother’s Day is still about one of the most important people in our lives, and they deserve to be treated like queens, even for just a couple of days in a year.
My celebration of Mother’s Day also includes honoring all the women in my life who have willingly served as mother figures or fairy godmothers for those who need one. In my case, I have been fortunate that my late mom and dad’s sisters have all stepped up and taken turns being a mother. Of course, it also comes with its own burdens, especially as they age and approach elderly age, when the balance of taking care of each other starts to shift, but if you ask me, the pros far outweigh the cons of having these sorts of mother figures in our lives. My titas, many of whom have not borne children themselves, may not be mothers by biological definition, but they are definitely mothers in practice and in the hearts of those who see them as such, because of their actions and sacrifices. People who have these sort of mothers in their lives should consider themselves lucky, and Mother’s Day is one of those times that we get to remind ourselves of that, and thank them for making the choice to adopt us as their kids.
Of course, Mother’s Day is ultimately about the biological moms, who have carried babies in their wombs for 9 months, gone through the pain of childbirth and/or recovery from a CS procedure; who will spend their entire lives looking after their kids, as well as the fathers; who is the glue that holds a family together. And that is why we celebrate it for them, when we try to give them a break, and do the thinking and doing for them, even for just a day. They should have more Mother’s Days, ideally at least once a week, when the rest of the family pitches in so they can get a well-deserved break, but I guess for now, until we finally step up and share the load of home making, the second Sunday of May will have to do.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!*
