[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H3451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MOTHER'S DAY CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. McKinley) for 5 minutes.
  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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