Note: I wrote this for
our Corvette Club newsletter. I am posting here because most of you do not read
that publication. Enjoy!
Women and Mother’s
Day
By: Aimee Parkin
“A woman is like a tea bag – you
can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Mother’s Day’s origins reside in ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
The Greeks and Romans held festivals in
honor of the mother goddesses, Rhea and Cybele. Modern Mother’s Day can be
traced to early Christian Festivals known as “Mothering Sundays,” held the
fourth Sunday in lent. Parishioners returned on this Sunday every year to the
church in which they were christened, or their “mother church,” for a special
service.
Mother’s Day resurfaced in America during the Civil War,
when Ann Reeves Jarvis started Mothers’ Day Work Clubs to teach women in her
home state, West Virginia, how to properly care for their children. Her clubs
became a unifying force during war time, and mothers continued gathering during
the long Reconstruction period. This helped reunify a torn nation and promote
peace.
In 1870, Julia Ward Howe wrote a Mother’s Day Proclamation,
encouraging all mothers to promote peace. Three years later, she encouraged all
mothers to set apart June 2, 1873 as a “Mother’s Peace Day.”
After Ann Reese Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter Anna
Jarvis campaigned for an annual Mother’s Day holiday to recognize the
sacrifices mothers make for their children. Anna never married or had any
children, but in 1908, a local store, Wanamaker’s, sponsored a Mother’s Day in
her town. She then sought to make it a national holiday. In 1914, President
Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day.
Since then, Mother’s Day has, like many other holidays, been
subject to commercialism, materialistic marketing, and has devolved into a day
where women sit in church, hear about someone’s idea of the angel mother, get a
chocolate to ease their pain, and if they are lucky, get some swag from a guy
who fell prey to a marketing ploy for diamonds, shoes, cars, or maybe a trip.
If they aren’t lucky, they buy some ice cream and call it a wash.
But the women who founded Mother’s Day wanted to promote
peace, better the lives of their fellow travelers, and celebrate each other’s
accomplishments. We can do that without flowers, chocolates, a new car, or
jewelry. Take a look at some inspiring women from America’s short history.
Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643) was banished from Boston by the
Puritans due to her political and religious views. She was left to defend
herself and her children against natives in New York, and she died standing for
her beliefs.
Margaret Brent (1600-1699) is known as North America’s first
feminist. She became one of Maryland’s largest land owners when most women were
still property. Someone had to set the precedent. Thank you, Margaret!
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), one of America’s first poets.
Because of her, colonial America has been preserved. She wrote in great
historical detail. Fun fact – until the mid 1800’s, most women could not get
literary work published unless they used a male pseudonym, yet Anne broke the
mold and saved history simultaneously.
Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) worked to alleviate misery as the Superintendent
of Female Nurses during the Civil War. If you are a nurse, thank her.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) holds the honor of the first
female medical doctor in the United States. She graduated from Geneva College in
1849, opened a slum infirmary, and trained women in medicine. Thanks to her,
the poor have access to good medical care, and some of the world’s best doctors
are women!
Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911) paved the way for science
geeks everywhere by being the first female ever to enroll in MIT in 1870. She
is also the reason you took Home Economics. She founded the science. Thank her
for your cooking, sewing, and other domestic skills.
Grace Hopper (1906-1992) received a PHD from Yale and was an
early computer programmer and a leader in software development. Your kid learns
coding in elementary school because of her.
Women shape our world. They inspire us to do more, be
better, set new goals, and reach them.
(Eloise Olson, Aimee Parkin, Evan Olson)
Finally, Florence “Eloise” Bloxham Olson (1929 - ), born to
poor sharecroppers in Arimo, Idaho, graduated Valedictorian of her small high
school class while helping her mother care for her five younger siblings. As a
young girl, she learned to sew, knit, crochet, cook and bake. She learned to
plant a victory garden. She adored flowers, especially roses and spring bulbs
and developed a green thumb early on. She loved making jams, jellies, and
canning fruits and veggies for her family. She met her husband, Evan, while she
worked as a telephone operator in Pocatello, Idaho, and they had three
children. After sending three children to college, Eloise pursued her dream.
She returned to college and became a nurse. She graduated Valedictorian again
and enjoyed a career spanning two decades. She nursed geriatric patients with
care and compassion. Her final patient was her sweetheart, Evan. She now enjoys
reading, knitting, cooking, canning, baking, and spending time with her three
children, her daughter-in-law, her 10 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.
Her favorite granddaughter is Aimee Parkin.
This woman taught me grit,
perseverance, the value of education, and that it’s never too late to pursue a
dream, set a goal, or learn a new skill. She still tries new recipes, she
learned to use the computer, the internet, and now enjoys using FaceTime. Despite
setbacks and hard times, every day is a blessing to her. During a very difficult time in my life, she
handed me a small photo that she had kept in her wallet for nearly 30 years. It
was me at age 3-4. She told me that it brought tremendous joy to her and that
my smile always did her heart good. She then gave me that picture. I carry it
in my wallet and think of her. I remember her strength, her sweetness, and her grit.
And I remember that because I’m hers, I can do anything.
Let’s celebrate inspiring women on Mother’s Day. Tell them
why they’re inspiring. Thank them for their story, their teachings, their
mentorship, and the pathways they’ve paved. That lasts longer than flowers,
jewels, or cars ever can.
Sources
Online Highway, LLC.
“Important and Famous Women in America.”
The History Channel.
“Mother’s Day.” http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day
