ISO April 2009 E–Newsletter
Greetings from ISO. No doubt, many of you are busy with finals and term papers right
now. In comparison to the heavy academic material that you may be battling to understand,
summarize and retain (if only until the day of the final exam), here is some lighter
reading. It is also a very important reminder. So, take a break from your studying
and read on.
In the United States, the second Sunday in May is celebrated as Mother’s Day. Like
many other holidays in the US, it has become very commercialized and many businesses
advertise special deals and products for people who are shopping for a Mother’s
Day gift. While flowers are high on the list and cards are also popular, one writer
advocates a simpler way of showing mothers the high esteem with which they are held.
Louisa Taylor, the writer of the article listed below has a very meaningful way
to honor mothers, an idea she gets by going back to the founder of Mother’s Day
in the US; Anna Jarvis. As Taylor writes, Anna Jarvis worked tirelessly to have
a national day for mothers recognized in the US and wrote numerous letters to politicians,
businessmen and religious leaders. Her campaign eventually resulted in U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson issuing a proclamation calling for the observance of Mother's Day
in 1914.
However, although she succeeded in getting this day recognized, in later years Anna
Jarvis was outraged by the commercialization of Mother’s Day. In going back to a
Mother’s Day that has meaning beyond just nice gifts, Louisa Taylor suggests writing
a heartfelt letter telling mothers what they mean and expressing love for them.
For her, the effort in writing a letter is significant and will be appreciated by
mothers.
While the second Sunday in May is celebrated in the US as Mother’s Day, many cultures
around the world also have special days that honor mothers. Therefore, for many
international students, this American holiday may not as meaningful as other days
they already celebrate. However, if it is customary in your family to celebrate
Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, then it would be very important to remember
this day and to do something special to recognize the love and hard work that mothers
devote. This hard work and dedication is usually unpaid but crucial to maintaining
the wellbeing of the household.
In addition, recognizing mothers is not limited to birth-mothers and mothering does
not require any blood-ties. Therefore, you can view this day as honoring those who
have fulfilled the role of mothers and who have been significant in your lives.
on time.
It is always safe to follow the tradition of your family. If celebrating mothers
on the second Sunday in May is not customary in your family, then you are not obligated
to observe the US date (although a phone call home might be nice). It may also be
traditional to exchange gifts. However, considering the argument that Louisa Taylor
makes, why not write a letter or a detailed card that expresses love to the mother(s)
in your life? This article mentioned above may be found at: http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c942370c-cdbb-43b2-af59-71ad4b546854
Good luck with finals and congratulations to all those who are graduating!
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