Women Strong

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the official start of the Mother’s Day holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May to be celebrated as Mother’s Day. Harry Hallmark smiled.

Before brunches, flowers and mandatory phone calls, the original intent of the holiday was a peace movement sustained by women who grieved their sons and husbands and brothers broken, maimed and killed in war. Ironic that it would be during the Wilson presidency the “war to end all wars” began and has never really concluded.

I am drawn to the image of women strong who wrote, rallied and raised awareness on the state-sanctioned carnage of war. The story reminds me of the women known as the “mothers of the missing” who gathered in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina to stand in strong protest over their children who disappeared in what was known as Argentina’s “dirty war,” a time when the military juntas terrorized the country and over 30,000 sons and daughters went “missing.”

“I keep on looking for my children and everybody else’s children, because to me your daughter is my daughter, she’s a little bit mine. My children are a little bit yours,” said Carmen Robles de Zurita, a woman who is the Mother of two missing children.

There’s the rub. Whether one birthed and borne, or adopted and welcomed in, or have children in our lives that we care for, watch over and help raise…..we are all called to be mothers.

I come from a strong line of women who were resilient, connected to the land, had a deep-river faith, and for whom family was central. They provide me with a powerful lived image of strong women and tender mothers.

Although my Mom was a beauty whom when she put on her “Sunday best” matched shoes to clothes to jewelry and was elegant; when I think of her I see her in jeans and sweatshirts and sneakers. She had work to do and she did it very, very well. She succeeded in that most important labor of making a house a home, raising her children, doting on her grandchildren and every other child whom was blessed enough to be a part of her world, and being always there at the table where she would feed anyone who stopped by whenever and from wherever….nourishing in ways along with and a part from the food on the table.

She did not boast about her strength nor did she flex her power….Mom was always just there steady and strong and constant.

The strong women I know don’t complain, they are the originals of just getting it done.

The strong women I know set their resolve and rebound and remain.

The strong women I know love with a beautiful mix of tenderness and fierceness.

The strong women I know give voice not when it’s popular, yet, when it’s necessary.

The strong women I know are to be celebrated yes, on this day, yet, even more in how each of us follows their example by living our lives with strength and grace and continuing to mother and care for the children in our lives.

Happy Mother's Day;

sj;

Celebrating?

Happy May Day and what a celebration this is!

Does anyone know if elementary schools still recognize this holiday? I remember my elementary school years celebrating this holiday with the traditional May pole grabbing ribbons and dancing around the pole. Sure….innocent enough and as kids it was a celebration of Spring.

With it being the “rainy season” here in Western Pennsylvania, we could use a little May Day brightness and energy.

Of course, the origins of May Day are pagan in nature and it was a celebration of the first spring planting and hopes for an abundant crop extended to a celebration of fertility and the rising of the May pole being symbolic of…well….ummm...it’s still a man’s world…..then and now….just count the number of commercials you see with matching bath tubs (I still don’t get that visual).

Later, May Day became the International Workers’ Day.

As we enter the month of May, there is a rush of celebrations in which to participate; sure it’s not the big name holidays and I doubt “Hallmark” has a greeting card for them, yet, these days provide an opportunity to have some fun and there should always be time for that!

The Kentucky Derby is this weekend (Saturday, 3 May) and under the counsel of Oprah (we do listen to Oprah) she once said that everybody should at least once celebrate the Kentucky Derby by having a mint julep and smoking a cigar. I can check it off my list…..

In Pittsburgh, Sunday, 4 May is the running of the Pittsburgh Marathon. Go and cheer on the runners for that is an impressive feat especially when I consider that I don’t even drive my car 26 miles in one day!

Monday, 5 May, is Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of the Mexican army’s victory over France in 1862. It’s also a great opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture and have great Mexican food. Interesting that Cinco de Mayo is not a huge holiday in Mexico, yet, in these United States we tend to see it as an occasion to party.

The point of all these ramblings about celebrations is to remember to be intentional and find reasons to celebrate, to throw a party! Find a reason….any reason to gather friends and family and celebrate --- celebrate the blooms, celebrate the sighting of the first goldfinch of the season, celebrate the Pirates scoring more than one run in two consecutive games….just celebrate whatever the season….who needs a reason!

sj;

One and done

What would you say is the great American novel?

A fun question --- Perhaps, John Steinbeck's GRAPES OF WRATH? Nathaniel Hawthorne's THE SCARLET LETTER? According to Oprah Winfrey (and we do listen to Oprah) the quintessential American novel is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

I ask the question because today is the 88nd birthday of the author of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Harper Lee. She wrote the novel in 1960 and it received grand acclaim, was made into a fantastic film and the book has sold millions and remains oft read and popular.

I guess that many of us first read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD as a high school English assignment. If that's the first and last time you've read the book, I strongly encourage you to get a copy and read it again. The book is a classic. Personally, I've used the book as a selection in two previous book clubs and have always found the discussion deep and insightful. A couple of years ago with some members of the cross-disabilities group with whom I work, we read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and their relationship to the character of Boo Radley proved the timelessness of great literature.

In music they refer to groups with one hit records as "one hit wonders." I don't know if they have a term for that in literature. Yet, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, a classic, was the only novel that Harper Lee ever wrote. She also has remained for the most part out of the public eye, rarely doing interviews and allowing her great book to carry the message.

Along with admiring the work of our artists, I think it as fascinating to study and learn from the process of our artists. Harper Lee wrote a classic, basing many of the characters and setting on her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. I wish she would have written another novel, yet, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is made of that wonderful artistic quality of having staying power and lasting impact. Maybe, it's not the quantity of one's work as much as it is the quality.

sj;