Why Wait for Mother's Day? Published May 3, 2012 By Chaplain Aaron Klaves 452 AMW Chapel Staff MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. -- Next Sunday is Mother's Day and it's about time! It almost goes without saying no one is more deserving of a special day than Mom. A popular cartoon illustration pastors like to use that captures the life of a mother shows a psychologist talking to his patient. "Let's see," he says, "You spend 50 percent of your energy on your job, 50 percent on your husband and 50 percent on your children. I think I see your problem." Whether single or married, employed or stay-at-home (or both), mothers have their work cut out for them and they deserve our appreciation...and the sooner the better! What's peculiar is that Mother's Day is a relatively new holiday in our nation's history and very new in world history. In 1914, after an intense and tiring campaign led by Anna M. Jarvis from Philadelphia, inspired by her own desire to show appreciation for her deceased mother, President Woodrow Wilson finally designate the second Sunday in May a federal holiday to honor mothers. More curious, other countries began to mark their own calendars in tribute to moms only after Americans marked theirs. One must wonder, why the wait? Of course, national holidays don't come easy or overnight (Jarvis spent years writing letters and speaking to politicians, clergy, business leaders and organizations proclaiming the holiday's importance), but ask anyone on the street and chances are you'll find them filled with gratitude for all that mothers do. Did you notice a recent Candid Comments (Beacon) dialogue, when asked who their biggest female influence and or inspiration was, two out of three people named their own mother? Moms do a lot. Another story preachers love to tell on Mother's Day was about a second-grade teacher who gave his class a science lecture on magnets. He began by quizzing his students to see if they could guess the subject he was trying to describe. "My name consists of six letters beginning with the letter `M' and I pickup things....What am I?" the teacher asked. A little boy in the front row immediately raised his hand and blurted, "You're a mother!" Here's a thought: This year, why not designate your own special day for a special mom you know (I bet you can think of at least one)...don't wait for Mother's Day! Rather than give a card, call or kiss next Sunday when you're supposed to, take a moment before the holiday to tell her how much she means. Better yet, make it EXTRA special; tell her "Thank you" for all she does and then try to count the ways. God bless!