The woman who succeeded in convincing the nation to establish Mothers Day in 1908 was single and had no children. Her name was Anna Jarvis, and it was her own mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, who lit a fire under the mothers of West Virginia during the Civil War, founding Mothers Day work clubs to improve sanitation and lower infant mortality, as well as to tend wounded soldiers, Union and Confederate. After the war, Anna Reeves Jarvis established a Mothers Friendship day, bringing together the mothers of soldiers from both sides, attempting reconciliation and renewed dedication to peace. Jarvis was unyielding in her determination that women, particularly mothers, could align themselves to impact their community toward resolving conflict by peaceful means, and particularly by mourning and remembering their fallen children. -- Judith Gayle in her column this week on Planet Waves planetwaves.net/news/?p=76490
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 17:25:16 +0000
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