Happy Mother’s Day

If you’re still struggling to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Forbes contributor Ky Trang Ho has published a list of the 10 Best Mother’s Day Gifts From Shark Tank. Personally, I’m hoping it’s not too late to order flowers, and I’ll make an effort to set aside a little extra time for our regular phone visit across the miles. As a mother of two grown sons, I’m most grateful for a few hours of their time.

According to History.com, Mother’s Day is observed in different forms throughout the world. Our American observance was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.

After her mother’s death in 1905, Jarvis wanted to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She managed to get backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, and in 1908, she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration in a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia.

After the success of the first celebration, she set out to have the holiday added to the national calendar arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements. She launched a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and politicians. By 1912, many states and towns had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and in 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a measure to establish the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Jarvis, who remained unmarried and childless her entire life, originally conceived of a day of personal celebration between mothers and their families, but once it became a national holiday, merchants capitalized on its popularity. Jarvis became upset with the commercializing of the holiday and actually attempted to remove the holiday from our calendars during the latter part of her life.

Despite her efforts, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. So whether you’re shopping for a gift or planning the ultimate gift of time spent together, Massey Services wishes you a very happy Mother’s Day.