Today was Mother's Day and although I procrastinated, just under the wire I emailed Mom a free e-card and even stepped it up a notch by forwarding also the picture of a lovely virtual bouquet I found online! The roses were beauteous, if I do say so myself. Nothing's too good for my mom!
Something I didn't know, though (perhaps I'm just historically retarded), was that Mother's Day began in part as the result of an 1800s anti-war peace movement.
I've never heard of Julia Ward Howe in my life, but I did some googling (are we to still capitalize now that Google is both noun and verb? I'm not sure.)
Anyway, she apparently worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers for both the North and the South during the Civil War (ultimate oxymoron, that) and witnessed first-hand some of the worst the war had to offer: the death and disease which killed and mutilated the soldiers, also recognizing the economic devastation and crises of war.
[We now know, of course, in our 21st century of enlightenment, that the whole "economic devastation" part was totally off the mark, but given that she didn't have counsel of George W. Bush back in the day to set her straight on such things, we'll cut her some slack on that one. Still, her mission was worthwhile, all things considered.]
So in case you're just as ignorant as myself, here's what I've learned.
Back in 1870, because of her experiences, she started a crusade (influenced by the earlier efforts of sister war-time activist Ann Jarvis, actually considered the "mother" of all Mothers' Days.)
Convinced that peace was one of the most important causes of the world alongside equality in its many forms, and also seeing the start of another war), Ms. Julia rallied together womankind to rise up and oppose war in all its forms.
She wanted women to come together to preach to the masses that what we all hold in common is greater than what divides us, and to commit to finding peaceful resolutions to our conflicts and fisticuffs.
She issued a Declaration hoping to gather women in a congress of action called Mother's Day For Peace, in part:
Something I didn't know, though (perhaps I'm just historically retarded), was that Mother's Day began in part as the result of an 1800s anti-war peace movement.
I've never heard of Julia Ward Howe in my life, but I did some googling (are we to still capitalize now that Google is both noun and verb? I'm not sure.)
Anyway, she apparently worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers for both the North and the South during the Civil War (ultimate oxymoron, that) and witnessed first-hand some of the worst the war had to offer: the death and disease which killed and mutilated the soldiers, also recognizing the economic devastation and crises of war.
[We now know, of course, in our 21st century of enlightenment, that the whole "economic devastation" part was totally off the mark, but given that she didn't have counsel of George W. Bush back in the day to set her straight on such things, we'll cut her some slack on that one. Still, her mission was worthwhile, all things considered.]
So in case you're just as ignorant as myself, here's what I've learned.
Back in 1870, because of her experiences, she started a crusade (influenced by the earlier efforts of sister war-time activist Ann Jarvis, actually considered the "mother" of all Mothers' Days.)
Convinced that peace was one of the most important causes of the world alongside equality in its many forms, and also seeing the start of another war), Ms. Julia rallied together womankind to rise up and oppose war in all its forms.
She wanted women to come together to preach to the masses that what we all hold in common is greater than what divides us, and to commit to finding peaceful resolutions to our conflicts and fisticuffs.
She issued a Declaration hoping to gather women in a congress of action called Mother's Day For Peace, in part:
Arise then...women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts! Whether your baptism be of water or of tears, say firmly:Anyway, hope all had a happy goddamn Mother's Day! Ah, if only mothers ruled the world ...
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands will 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, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace....
Great post, nice to have you back!
ReplyDeleteOh, I LOVED Sally that night. I just love her. I hope she gets another emmy. Her preformance during the gay marriage episode was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteDiane - I missed the gay marriage episode, I really seldom watched the show until just recently ... very good it is!!! Maybe I can find a snippet on YouTube or something, or catch it in a rerun. I love Sally, too.
ReplyDeleteRainlillie - Thank you, sweetheart! :-)