THE FORGOTTEN ROOTS OF MOTHER’S DAY More Than Brunch and Bouquets
Every May, we block off a Sunday and dedicate it to the women who raised us. While Mother’s Day is now filled with family brunches, flowers, and cards, it didn’t begin that way. The first Mother’s Day observances were more about community action than celebration. Mother’s Day began with a grassroots movement focused on public service. In the mid-19th century, Ann Reeves Jarvis organized Mother’s Day Work Clubs throughout West Virginia to teach mothers how to sanitize their homes and protect their children from disease outbreaks. Jarvis lost several of her children to disease and wanted to help other mothers avoid similar tragedies. However, when the Civil War began, she shifted the focus of her work to heal the rift between Union and Confederate
soldiers. She launched Mother’s Friendship Day to unite local families. Around the same time, abolitionist and women’s rights advocate Julia Ward Howe (best known for writing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) issued her “Mother’s Day Proclamation” to urge women everywhere to speak out against war and push for peace. While these early efforts to recognize and empower mothers focused on community care and postwar healing, Mother’s Day as we know it came about thanks to Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. After her mother passed away in 1905, Anna wanted to create a holiday to honor her work. She established it on the second Sunday in May, the day her mother died. The first observance was held in 1908 at a Grafton, West Virginia, church. Anna chose white
carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, as an emblem and urged people to honor their mothers with heartfelt notes of gratitude. Her campaign quickly caught on, and by 1914, Mother’s Day was an official national holiday. Ironically, Mother’s Day soon brought frustration to its founder due to how commercialized it became. For the rest of her life, Anna Jarvis spoke out against the commercial takeover of what she envisioned as a day of sincerity. Even though mass-produced greeting cards, boxed chocolates, and advertisements are still associated with Mother’s Day, many continue to observe it as Anna originally intended. A simple handwritten note, homecooked meal, or quiet afternoon spending time together often carries more weight than any store- bought gift ever could.
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Lettuce Cups
Take a Break
Ingredients • 1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 2 lbs) • 3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped • 2 medium sweet red peppers, chopped • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1 8-oz can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce • 2 tbsp packed brown sugar • 2 tbsp white vinegar • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1/2 tsp pepper • 3 tbsp cornstarch • 3 tbsp water • 24 lettuce leaves for serving
Directions 1. In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, combine roast, carrots, peppers, and onion. 2. In a small bowl, stir together the next 6 ingredients; pour over roast. 3. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours. Remove roast, let cool slightly, then shred. 4. Skim fat from cooking juices, then transfer juices and vegetables to a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. 5. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, stir mixture into juices, and cook 3–4 minutes until sauce is thickened. 6. Return beef, sauce, and vegetables to slow cooker; cook for 10–15 minutes. 7. Serve beef in lettuce leaves.
BLOOM CINCO DERBY EMERALD
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