Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and all other nurturers and caretakers! I have been blessed to have a great many strong, wise, caring women in my life, and I always think of them all with love and gratitude on Mother’s Day.
In the United States, peace activist Anna Jarvis of West Virginia first campaigned to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in 1905, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.
However, it was four decades earlier, in 1870, when another well-known peace activist, Julia Ward Howe, issued “An appeal to womanhood throughout the world,” which later became known as the “Mother’s Day Proclamation.”
Howe appealed to women to promote peace, saying, “Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”
Although Anna Jarvis was successful in having Mother’s Day recognized, she soon came to resent the commercialization of the holiday, accusing Hallmark and other companies that sold cards, candy, and flowers of misinterpreting and exploiting the idea and arguing that people should show their love and gratitude for mothers through handwritten letters rather than gifts and pre-made cards. She went as far as organizing boycotts, protesting at a candy makers’ convention, and being arrested for disturbing the peace at a meeting of the American War Mothers when she objected to the group selling Mother’s Day carnations to raise money.
Anna Jarvis sounds pretty feisty! I can only imagine what she would have to say about the $34 billion the National Retail Federation says Americans will spend on Mother’s Day this year.
Greenwood’s Roadside Cleanup Day was a great success. Here’s a note of gratitude from Betsey Foster, of the Greenwood Conservation Commission:
“Twenty-five people showed up Saturday morning, May 1, to head out to pick up litter along the roads of Greenwood. Ages ranged from young grade-schoolers to around 90 years of age. One devoted volunteer drove down from Andover to participate. She does this every year because she ‘loves Greenwood.’ While some volunteers took their full trash bags to the transfer station, the Greenwood road crew pitched in and picked up the roadside bags and large items on their next work day. The amount of litter was about the same as last year, maybe even a bit less. A used hypodermic syringe was found by the guard rails that cross Alder River along Howe Hill Rd. It was left in place and reported to authorities. Thankfully, the rain held off until late morning when all had finished their routes.”
Here are some of the many events coming up in the next few weeks:
Monday, May 12, 6-7:30 p.m., Telstar Cafeteria: Bethel Community Meeting. Join the Maine People’s Alliance and concerned citizens in Bethel and surrounding towns as they work to take action in the community and move MPA’s work forward. This is an opportunity to connect with neighbors and build relationships with those passionate about social action. Dinner will be provided. Please RSVP at actionnetwork.org/events/bethel-community-meeting-2/ or email esther@mainepeoplesalliance.org for more information.
Saturday, May 17, at 9 a.m. at the Locke’s Mills Legion Hall: Annual Greenwood Town Meeting. In addition to being a wonderful opportunity to socialize with neighbors and friends, this is the most important opportunity to participate in your town’s government.
Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. at Bingham Auditorium, Gould Academy: Mahoosuc Community Band Spring Concert. Ed Ryan conducts the band. Donations help the band continue to provide music in the community.
Thursday, June 5, at 5 p.m. at the Pleasant Valley Commons, 721 West Bethel Road in West Bethel (formerly the Pleasant Valley Grange: Join the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society for a special party to commemorate the launch of the fifth edition of the annual history journal, Goose Eye. There will be a Grange-style supper and a presentation by Larry Glatz on West Bethel puzzler Edwin "Ruthven" Briggs. Rumor has it that America's Puzzle Master himself, Will Shortz, an admirer of Glatz’s article, may even be dropping by for a brief video appearance!
Saturday, June 7, from 9 – 11 a.m. at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: Annual Rhubarb Festival. There will be all kinds of rhubarb goodies, including pies, both rhubarb and strawberry-rhubarb. There will be some plain rhubarb available if you want to make your own. There will also be white elephant tables with all kinds of useful items. Come early, as everything sells out fast. This event raises money for the church and for the ladies’ group, The Goodwill Fellowship.
If you have news or events you’d like included here, email me at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or call 207-890-4812. Remember that the next print edition of the Bethel Citizen will be published next weeks, on Friday, May 16, but you can find this column on my website at amywchapman.com every Friday morning. You can subscribe for free and get it delivered to your email inbox each week, along with occasional posts to my blog, Reflections. Have a great week!
"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow." — Maya Angelou
Oh my word, I just love your column. I am not even from Greenwood and yet I so much appreciate seeing small town news done right! You are a gem and the Town of Greenwood is lucky to have you indeed!