General Superintendent
Max Edwards
May 7, 2024
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Some refer to it as a ‘Hallmark holiday,’ invented by entrepreneurs trying to tease some revenue out of people attempting to honor their moms.
What do I think? Well, the origins of the holiday itself don’t support the notion of money-making as a motive. According to what I’ve read, the first Mother's Day observance, as we might know it, was held in 1907 by Anna Jarvis after the death of her mother, Ann, who died in the second week of May 1905. She deeply wanted to honor the memory of her mother, who, in the years following the U.S. Civil War, had attempted to establish a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to reunite families that had been divided by the war.
A small service was held on May 12, 1907, in the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna's mother had been teaching Sunday school. The next year, the church honored the freshly established tradition by holding an “official” Mother’s Day service on May 10, 1908. Anna Jarvis brought in 500 Carnations to honor the memory of her mother. The idea lit a spark that turned to flame as folks in New York honored the celebration the following year.
Jarvis then worked to establish Mother's Day as a national holiday, with some interesting features: She trademarked the phrase: “Second Sunday in May,” and made sure that the spelling of the holiday was “Mother’s Day” as a single possessive, rather than a plural possessive (i.e., Mothers’ Day). She wanted the day to be a time for EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY to appreciate and remember their mother, rather than a day to celebrate motherhood in general.
Rosemond
Edwards
To that end, let me use the remainder of my words to honor the memory of my own incredible mother, Rosemond Edwards. She was a tireless woman of faith with a true Christ-like spirit. She had a special love and compassion for the poor, the outcast, and the lonely. I remember her taking meals, clothes, and other necessities to widows and poor families.
She raised 8 children on little household income. She was a gifted musician, playing piano, organ, guitar and other instruments in our church. She was also an artist, writer, poet, and true friend to many. Her primary goal in life was to glorify Christ in all she said and did. She was ushered into heaven in October of 1975, the victim of a car accident, way too early for my liking - - I was 16 years old. But I have a legacy of faith that burns in my heart that can neither be bought, nor stolen. Thank you, Rosemond! I love and miss you, Mom.