Ishret Shimu

“Open your eyes!” I heard a heavenly voice as I dozed off for a moment while watching Disney channel with my 3 year old daughter on Sunday morning. I opened my eyes to find my sweet little angel smiling at me. She was holding a box beautifully wrapped in a pastel pink wrapping paper tied with silver ribbons.

“Happy Mother’s Day, mommy! This is for you!”

I took the gift from her but I got the most precious gift when she gave me a hug and kissed on my forehead. I could not hold my tears. She hugs me any time and every time she is near me. She kisses me two hundred times every day! But still this very moment on this very day was so special to me! Is it because it was Mother’s Day? I guess that is the answer.

I never heard of Mother’s Day before I came to United States in 1993. I was really impressed at the fact that there is one special day for mothers only! Since then I never forget to call my mother on this second Sunday of May to wish her happy Mother’s Day. Wish I could be with her on this day! I came to know how she feels when I remember her on Mother’s Day after I became a mother myself. It really is a very special feeling.

I have heard many different opinions about Mother’s Day, especially from men from our country. Some men think that this is just showing off of some feelings that should not be shown off. They also think that in our country we love our mothers all year round and we don’t need one single day to show our love. According to these men, this day is for those people who do not care about their mothers year round and need a specific day marked on their calendars when they are supposed to show love and care for their mothers. Most ironic is that these people think that there should be no such day as Mother’s Day. To my surprise, one person mentioned that he even finds better explanation of Secretary’s Day over Mother’s Day.

Well, here is the point these people are missing. Mother’s Day is not depriving you from loving your mother all the time. It does not mean that you cannot take her out to dinner or you cannot buy her something special or just spend an entire day with her any time other than Mother’s Day. It is just that this single day is HER special day. Whatever you do for her on this day brings some extra special feelings to her, just like the special feelings I had when my little girl hugged me on Mother’s Day. I feel fortunate that my husband is not one of those men who do not give any value to this day. He calls his mother and buys flowers for me as well.

I have my earnest respect for Julia Ward Howe who suggested the idea of Mother’s day for peace and for Anna Jarvis as she started the campaign for official observance of Mother’s Day to memorialize the work and dream of her mother who actually initiated the effort of having a day for mothers. After lobbying to the political leaders, even to President Taft and Roosevelt, Anna Jarvis finally became successful in 1914 as President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Jarvis herself was against the commercialization of the holiday of course. She was against selling flowers and cards for Mother’s Day and at one point she said, “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!” But whatever commercial impact it is creating, the true meaning of Mother’s Day can never be defeated by anything. People will do business out of anything. Don’t we see business for the sake of Ramadan or Eid by running big sale events in the market places back home? Aren’t there commercial Mina Bazaars on behalf of the Bengali New Year? Some people will always do business out of any event regardless of Mother’s Day or New Year’s Day. You know why they are so successful in commercialization of Mother’s Day? Because we do care about mothers and we are willing to buy things or do things to make mothers feel extra special on this day.

Mother’s Day is celebrated officially in more than 40 countries, not on the same day though. Even in our country people celebrate this day even though it is not officially observed as a holiday. I hope soon it will be a recognized holiday in Bangladesh as well. We just need to realize that it doesn’t hurt to show off some feelings sometimes.

May, 2003