{"id":972,"date":"2012-05-14T05:59:19","date_gmt":"2012-05-14T05:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/areasontosmile\/?p=972"},"modified":"2012-05-14T06:05:26","modified_gmt":"2012-05-14T06:05:26","slug":"the-meaning-of-mothers-day-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/05\/the-meaning-of-mothers-day-then-and-now.html","title":{"rendered":"The meaning of Mother\u2019s Day: then and now"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Thank you, Julia!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the year 2012, it is hard to see Mother\u2019s Day as anything other than another \u2018Hallmark holiday\u2019 designed to sell cards, roses, and expensive dinners.<\/p>\n

However, this wasn\u2019t how the holiday was originally intended.
\nMother\u2019s Day\u00a0was created by\u00a0Julia Ward Howe<\/a>, the same woman who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic (Glory, Glory, Hallelujah<\/a>).<\/p>\n

One of Howe\u2019s\u00a0biographer\u2019s wrote<\/a>: \u2018the modern commercialized celebration of gifts, flowers and candy bears little resemblance to Howe’s original idea. Here is the Proclamation that explains, in her own powerful words, the goals of the original Mother’s Day in the United States.<\/p>\n

Arise then…women of this day!
\nArise, all women who have hearts!
\nWhether your baptism be of water or of tears!
\nSay firmly:
\n“We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
\nOur husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,\u00a0for caresses and applause.
\nOur sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn\u00a0all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. \u00a0We, the women of one country,\u00a0will be too tender of those of another country\u00a0to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”<\/p>\n

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with\u00a0our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
\nThe sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
\nBlood does not wipe our dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
\nAs men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home\u00a0for a great and earnest day of counsel.<\/p>\n

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
\nLet them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means\u00a0whereby the great human family can live in peace…
\nEach bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God – in the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask\u00a0that a general congress of women without limit of nationality,\u00a0may be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient\u00a0and the earliest period consistent with its objects,\u00a0to promote the alliance of the different nationalities,\u00a0the amicable settlement of international questions,\u00a0the great and general interests of peace.\u2019<\/p>\n

Now, isn\u2019t that a lot different idea than cards and flowers?
\nThe goal, then, of Mother\u2019s Day is not just to show the most important women in our lives how important they are to us, although that is certainly important, but to celebrate the value ofchildren<\/em>. \u00a0That mothers not just in our country, but world-wide have struggled to bring their children into the world, and into adulthood not just to sacrifice them fighting someone else\u2019s war.<\/p>\n

So, enjoy this Mother\u2019s Day, and enjoy your much earned pampering and rest (or giving it to the mom who does), but take time to remember Julia Ward Howe\u2019s original goal for the holiday: mother’s of the world uniting for peace.\u00a0 And that\u2019s a goal we can all live into, every single day.<\/p>\n

You are great, and I love you!
\nAnd if you love me back, click ‘share’ up at the top!<\/p>\n

B. Dave Walters
\nWriter, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host<\/p>\n

Find out more about me:
\nhttp:\/\/about.me\/BDaveWalter<\/a>s<\/p>\n

Ask me anything:
\nhttp:\/\/formspring.me\/BDaveWalters<\/a><\/p>\n

Pages I support:
\nJesus and Buddha<\/a>\u00a0— Interfaith dialog<\/p>\n

Gnostic Theism<\/a>\u00a0— Religion and Spirituality for the 21st Century (Join the Movement!)<\/p>\n

Love One Another<\/a>\u00a0— A group for the coolest Spiritual people on the Internet!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the year 2012, it is hard to see Mother\u2019s Day as anything other than another \u2018Hallmark holiday\u2019 designed to sell cards, roses, and expensive dinners. However, this wasn\u2019t how the holiday was originally intended. Mother\u2019s Day\u00a0was created by\u00a0Julia Ward Howe, the same woman who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic (Glory, Glory, Hallelujah).…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,80,15,93,29,81,60,38,31,28,41,43,49,48],"tags":[3,58,34,13,12,11,109,36,6,14,23,26,25,24,59,42,50,18],"class_list":["post-972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emotions-2","category-family","category-god","category-gratitude","category-happiness","category-healing","category-holidays","category-hope-inspiration","category-love-2","category-peace","category-positive-thinking","category-relationships-2","category-religion","category-spirituality","tag-b-dave-walters","tag-bible","tag-breakthroughs","tag-change","tag-emotions","tag-gnostic-theism","tag-god","tag-hope","tag-law-of-attraction","tag-life-coach","tag-love","tag-peacelovemoney-com","tag-psychology","tag-relationships","tag-scripture","tag-self-talk","tag-spiritual-but-not-religious","tag-spiritual-coach"],"yoast_head":"\nThe meaning of Mother\u2019s Day: then and now - A Reason to Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/05\/the-meaning-of-mothers-day-then-and-now.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The meaning of Mother\u2019s Day: then and now - A Reason to Smile\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the year 2012, it is hard to see Mother\u2019s Day as anything other than another \u2018Hallmark holiday\u2019 designed to sell cards, roses, and expensive dinners. 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He is the author of one book, \"49 Lost Secrets of Peace, Love, and Money\". For years, friends and relatives looked to him for guidance and support during difficult times, and he realized at an early age that his purpose in life was to serve and inspire. While touring as a personal coach with a prominent rock band, he was discovered by one of the top trainers of the Anthony Robbins companies, which lead to him settling down to open and operate a Marketing, Business Services and Coaching firm in Los Angeles. Armed with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he brings the same discipline and determination that helped him earn Black Belt rankings in Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi to all areas of study and focus. In addition to earning a degree in English from Morehouse College, he has mastered the science of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and other communication, healing, counseling and spiritual systems from all over the world. 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