Mother's Day Centennial Anniversary

Floor Speech

Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor mothers across America.

Mothers play an incredible role in our lives. We have all seen the sacrifices they make to raise their children and the care and devotion they dedicate to them. We know their commitment.

Mothers have been our greatest advocates. When we were young, they cared for us when we were sick, supported us in our pursuits, lifted us up when we fell down, and read to us at night. They held our hands when we needed them.

Mothers work 8 to 10 hours a day in the workforce, come home and do the cooking, the laundry, and help with the homework, and then get up the next day and do it all over again.

So when was the last time we actually took a moment to say thank you to our mothers and grandmothers? Do enough people take time to stop and say, Thanks, Mom?

There is one person who did so in a very special way. She was a young lady born in 1864 in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. Her mother had worked during the Civil War to provide nursing care and promote better sanitation, helping save thousands of lives on both sides of the conflict. When she passed away in 1902, this young lady, Anna Jarvis, wanted to celebrate her mother's life and came up with the idea of a national honor for mothers: Mother's Day.

Consequently, in 1908, Anna Jarvis organized the very first official Mother's Day celebration, which took place in the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia. However, Anna wanted more people to honor mothers.

She worked with a department store owner in Philadelphia, and soon thousands of people started attending Mother's Day events at retail stores all across America. Following these successes, Anna resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. She argued that the national holidays were biased towards male achievements and that the accomplishments of mothers deserve a day of appreciation.

Anna Jarvis started a letter-writing campaign to newspapers and politicians urging them to adopt a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912, many States, towns, and churches had adopted Mother's Day as an annual event.

Her persistence paid off. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially recognizing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Anna Jarvis, who never married or had children of her own, dedicated her life to establishing a day to honor her mother and all mothers across America.

This Sunday, we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day. This holiday is just a small way to show our gratitude to our mothers and grandmothers. This Sunday, we can stop for a moment to simply say thank you. Because when our mothers are gone, that loss reaches into all of our hearts and touches each of us, for no longer will we hear the sound of their voice, the touch of their hand, or that warm embrace. It causes a huge loss in all of our lives.

We should pause on this one day to say thank you to our mothers, who love us in spite of ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that this Mother's Day we honor the dedication and vision of Anna Jarvis, as well as all of our mothers.

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