Even if you look past the jewelry, perfume, chocolates, flowers, and puff-paint frames, no one argues that celebrating your mother is not important. I love making my mom breakfast in bed and officially commemorating her daily selflessness and fabulousness....but this Mother's Day, I'm looking beyond my mom and my grandmothers. I am thinking about all of the mothers who have a son or daughter fighting in a war-- and Mother's Day as a call for peace. I just recently learned that Julia Ward Howe wrote her Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870, thinking of the carnage of the American Civil War (and the Franco-Prussian War). Howe was calling for disarmament and her Proclamation was tied to her feminist belief that women have a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.
Even back then, Howe understood that mothers possess the right and also a duty to influence policy decisions on a range of issues - from war to social justice. Howe would certainly be in support of International Women's Day (March 8th) and the thousands of organizations working to combat sexism, unequal opportunities, and issues like domestic violence. One such organization is Mom's Rising. Mobilizing an exciting online grassroots movement against hiring discrimination and raising awareness about family-friendly politics on various issues (healthcare for all children, childcare, maternity/paternity leave, fair wages...), Mom's Rising is also making the link between poverty and discrimination against mothers very clear. When you're online this Mother's Day, before you send your mom an e-card because the snail mail card is going to be late, go sign the Mom's Rising petition to end discriminatory hiring practices...and then send the link to your mom!!
