Self Improvement

What would life be without mothers? They’re everything in our lives – as friends, mentors, critics, nurses, teachers… In the endless roles that mothers play so that we can feel safe, secure, and loved.

Do you know how Mother’s Day began? It has nothing to do with candies, roses or all that “stuff” that we think of when we think of Mother’s day. You’ll be surprised to know that it started with the need for sanitation. Here’s how it happened….

It all started way back in 1858 in a small town called Webster in West Virginia. There was a woman who lived there by the name of Anna Reeves Jarvis who strived to improve sanitary conditions in the town by forming Mothers’ Day Work Clubs. The Clubs raised money to buy medicine and to hire help for mothers with TB (Tuberculosis), and inspected bottled milk and food.

During the Civil War she extended the purpose of the Mothers’ Day Work Club to continuing her work for improved sanitary conditions for both sides of the conflict as well as actually treating the wounded. This somehow led to the reconciliation of several family members divided by the war, and she is credited with saving thousands of lives because of her teachings about sanitation.

The daughter of that woman, Anna Jarvis, swore at her mother’s grave in 1905 to dedicate her life to her mother’s project and to work for the establishment of Mother’s Day. True to her word, she quit her job and dedicated herself full-time to campaigning for this special occasion we now observe.

On May 10th, in 1907, the church of Grafton, West Virginia became the shrine of the first unofficial Mother’s Day.

Her hard work finally paid off in 1914 as President Woodrow signed the resolution that officially established Mother’s Day in the United States.

Ironically – in light of modern celebrations of Mother’s Day - as the years passed by Ms. Jarvis became disappointed with the increasing commercialization of the holiday. She even frowned on the practice of sending greeting cards and flowers, and later became critical of many public figures that were associated with the celebration of Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis died in 1948 with no children of her own and was buried beside her beloved mother.

Similarly, another woman by the name of Julia Ward Howe who was also involved in the Civil War influenced the celebration of Mother’s Day. Ms. Howe was known best for being the author of the words to the “Battle Hymn to the Republic”.

She was so appalled by the carnage of the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War that she tried to issue a manifesto for peace at an international conference. In 1872, she began promoting the idea of a “Mother’s Day for Peace”. A year later mothers from 18 cities across America held a Mother’s Day for Peace Gathering. Some cities like Boston even continued to celebrate for many years, but the celebrations slowly died out once Howe was no longer paying for the costs.

It’s amazing to think that one woman – Anna Reeves Jarvis - whose simple goal of improved sanitation was able to build such a powerful bridge that she continues to connect people with different beliefs even today.

Modernly, Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Philippines, and Belgium. In fact more than 40 countries officially celebrate a Mother’s Day.

No matter who we are, how we grew up, or where we live, looking back at that time in our lives when we were still fragile, naive and curious, for most of us it was – and continues to be - our mother who safely guided us on our journey of life.

Our deepest secrets, hurts, fears, and aspirations are all still kept in her locket of memories, and in ours. She nurtured our pain as hers; sometimes sacrificing the things she would have like to have bought for herself just to be able to buy us our latest whim.

However Mother’s Day is celebrated, we just have to keep in mind that it’s not the things we buy for her that matters, it’s the counting of our blessings, the appreciation of the love in our loves, and the opportunity to create a truly memorable Mother’s Day this year – both for yourself – and for those special people in your life.

Tracy A. Phaup is an admiring daughter of Marian P. Turner and the creator of Mother?s Day Poems. Mother?s Day Poems was invented as a scholarship fund raising project for a unique training program to be held here in beautiful South Florida. Buy our package now - make Mom feel special on Mother?s Day and make a difference, too!

Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects 17 million Americans. Of this group, almost 6 million are children. In other words, approximately two out of every ten children suffer from this condition. If you feel that your child may have asthma, it will help you to decide on an effective treatment program if you first understand what asthma is and what symptoms it produces.

Asthma is defined as a chronic (long term) inflammatory disease of the airways. When the airways (known as bronchi) become irritated or inflamed, they narrow and cause the sufferer to gasp to wheeze and have difficulty catching his breath. During this “attack,” the muscle tissues that are found in the walls of the bronchi begin to spasm, causing the cells that line the airway to swell and secrete mucus. The combination of the two processes causes the airway to narrow, making breathing difficult. The victim’s airways will either open up on their own or in response to a variety of treatments. The condition causes the airways to become highly responsive and narrowing occurs when the airway is exposed to certain stimuli such as cold air, exercise, dust, pollutants, stress, and anxiety.

There are other symptoms of asthma other than the obvious wheezing. Some children suffer from slight occurrences of shortness of breath. Others may feel pain in their chest or begin coughing. In some cases, the child’s back or neck will begin itching right before an asthma attack. Most children will tire easily and become irritated before an attack is about to begin. In the case of an infant, the baby may have feeding problems, grunting while he is eating when his asthma is beginning to bother him.

Due to the variety of symptoms exhibited by different children, only your child’s physician can determine if your child is suffering from asthma. Some youngsters are in high risk groups to develop the condition. A child who has a variety of allergies or suffers from numerous respiratory infections may be more prone to develop asthma. Children who had a low birth weight or whose mother smoked or was exposed to smoking during her pregnancy are high risk for the condition. Children who are exposed to cigarette smoke regularly are more prone to develop it. Asthma also seems to be hereditary, so any child who has a family member who suffers from asthma is more likely to also develop it. If your child falls in to one of these high risk categories, you should inform your family doctor. This information will insure that he doctor will check your child regularly for any asthma symptoms.

When determining the treatment program for a child suffering from asthma, your doctor will first determine the category that your child’s symptoms fall into. There are several of these groups that are rated according to the frequency and severity of the asthma symptoms. From the mildest to the most severe they are as follows: mild intermittent (twice or less times a week), mild persistent (more than twice a week but not daily), moderate persistent (daily), and severe persistent (continually throughout the day). By determining the severity of your child’s condition, his doctor can recommend an effective treatment program.

Asthma is a controllable condition as long as your child follows his treatment program and avoids stimuli that may affect him adversely. In almost all cases, an asthma attack will pass and is not fatal. In the case of a severe attack, however, medical help should be called. One consolation is that most children outgrow asthma as they reach adulthood.

As a parent of an asthmatic child, you will need to teach your child the things that he should avoid as well as the warning signs that an attack may be coming on. If your child is age appropriate, you should make sure that he knows how to take his medication on his own. The combination of education and medication should enable your child to enjoy a normal, happy childhood.

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Father’s Day is the one time a year that our attention is focused on our fathers. It is usually celebrated by giving the father of the family gifts and planning a day of family-oriented activities.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrated Father’s Day on Saint Joseph’s Day, which is March 19th. Because this day falls during Lent, the Church could not celebrate it as a feast day. Many people felt that a secular holiday to celebrate fathers was needed.

The first modern Father’s Day celebration was held on July 15, 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia. This first celebration may have been inspired by a tragedy. In December, 1907, a mine explosion in nearby Monongah killed 361 men, most of whom were fathers. Then, on May 10, 1908, the first Mother’s Day celebration was held in nearby Grafton, West Virginia. A woman by the name of Grace Golden Clayton suggested top her local pastor that their church should commemorate these fallen fathers with a celebration much like the one that had been dedicated to mothers.

Another advocate of Father’s Day was Sonora Smart Dodd who was one of six children raised by a single father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart in Spokane, Washington. The first of these celebrations was held on June 19, 1908 (which also happened to be the third Sunday in June). Although supported by President Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge, Father’s Day was not recognized as a holiday until 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson picked the third Sunday of June as the date for this celebration. It was 1972 when President Richard Nixon finally made it an official holiday.

In the United States, Father’s Day is usually celebrated with a barbeque and other outdoor activities. Most people give their father gifts or gift baskets based on a subject that he likes such a golf or baseball. In other countries, the celebrations vary as well as the method in which these countries pick the date for Father’s Day.

In Germany, Father’s Day is celebrated on Ascension Day, which if the Thursday that falls forty days after Easter. The celebration consists of small wagons that are pulled by manpower and pulled to the location that has been chosen for the activities. These wagons are loaded with wine, beer, and traditional German food, such as liverwurst and blood sausage. After making a toast to the fathers who are present, the party then begins, running into the wee hours of the morning or even sometimes until the next day.

In Taiwan, Father’s Day is not an official holiday but is usually observed on August 8th, which is the eighth day of the eighth month. In Mandarin Chinese (the language of Taiwan) the spoken word for the number “eight” is very similar to the word for “father,” both being slightly different pronunciations of the word ba. Thus, August 8th is usually known as Baba Day.

In Thailand, the celebration of Father’s Day is based upon the birthday of the current king. Today, the king is Bhumibol Adulyadej, also known as Rama IX. He has been king since June 9, 1946, which makes him the longest ruling monarch in Thai history. Since his birthday is December 5th, this has been the date for Father’s Day in Thailand for over sixty years. When the king passes away, it will be strange to most of his people to celebrate this holiday on another date as most of them have never observed it at any other time. There is speculation that December 5th may become the permanent date for Father’s Day in Thailand in the future.

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