YOUNG LAWYERS DIVISION
Mother ’ s Day : It ’ s not all flowers and candy
This month one theme of The Docket is Mother ’ s Day , which falls on Sunday , May 9 , this year . In researching for this article , I came across an interesting history behind the origin of Mother ’ s Day — a more complicated and slightly darker origin story than you may think when looking at our present-day holiday . Mother ’ s Day was originally created to honor a mother who lost multiple children to epidemics during the late 1800s in the Appalachian region of Virginia .
In 1908 , a Virginia woman named Anna Jarvis held a celebration intended to honor mothers and began campaigning for the day to gain wider recognition , which led to President Woodrow Wilson ’ s 1914 proclamation declaring the second Sunday of May “ a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country .” Anna was inspired to organize the celebration by the memory of her mother , Ann Jarvis , a mother to 11 children , only 4 of whom survived infancy . Tragically that was a common situation in the Appalachian region at the time , largely due to epidemics that were spread by poor sanitary conditions . Upon her sixth pregnancy , Anna ’ s mother began to work to improve the infant mortality rate , organizing events at which doctors educated local mothers on hygiene practices . The events were called Mothers ’
OFFICERS
President Sara Castro
President-Elect Patrick McArdle
Secretary Caroleen Brej
Treasurer Natasha Selvaraj
Imm . Past President Brian Goodrich
YLD PRESIDENT ’ S COLUMN
Sara Castro , Esq . Farr , Farr , Emerich , Hackett , Carr , & Holmes , P . A .
YLD Board of Directors 2020 – 2021 DIRECTORS
Warren Chin Jade Davis Alisa Heedy Pamela Hernandez Mallory Moretti Robert Young Frank Malatesta , South County Rep .
Day Work Clubs . Ann Jarvis passed away on the second Sunday in May in 1905 .
Once Mother ’ s Day was established and became widely acknowledged , Anna Jarvis became displeased . The accounts of her reasons vary , but a common theme runs through — she was unhappy with the use of the day by organizations , both commercial and non-profit , to generate revenue . According to the BBC , in reaction to an increase in the price of carnations , Jarvis issued the following press release : “ What will you do to rout charlatans , bandits , pirates , racketeers , kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest , noblest and truest movements and celebrations ?” She made copyright claim to the phrase and apparently fought at least 33 lawsuits over the issue . Towards the end of her life , she even went door-to-door in an effort to have the day rescinded . Jarvis fought the commercialization of Mother ’ s Day with her inheritance funds and , by the end of her life , she had depleted her funds and ended up in a sanitarium . Although historians say she never took funds from the florist industry or attempted to profit from the day herself , there are rumors that the floral and card industries may have paid for her care in the sanitarium through the end of her life in 1948 .
COMMITTEES
Social / Events Warren Chin , Chair
Health & Wellness Yuliya Swaim , Chair
Charitable Jade Davis , Chair
Diversity Jill Bowen , Chair
Education Patrick McArdle , Chair
Technology / Membership Frank Malatesta , Chair
Sometimes motherhood doesn ’ t look like the Hallmark version
There have been many other celebrations of motherhood and potential persons to whom credit should be given for the holiday , both domestically and around the world . However , this particular series of events that led to recognition of the holiday in the United States should remind us of some important parts of motherhood that are often overlooked . Sometimes motherhood doesn ’ t look like the Hallmark version ; sometimes it looks like a mother with children you can ’ t see — like Ann Jarvis who had to continue living beyond the years of the 7 children she lost . Although our healthcare is greatly improved today , many women still suffer loss through miscarriage , stillbirth , or the death of a child . Mothers are still lost due to complications with childbirth , with the death rate for Black mothers in the United States being almost 3 times that of non-Black mothers ( with no corresponding correlation to level of education or income ). Some mother-child relationships are strained , and some have lost their mothers too early in life or do not have a mother figure . Many spend countless hours and endure endless tests and medical procedures ( not to mention emotional energy ) privately trying to become mothers while putting on a brave face dealing with the rest of life ’ s day-to-day activities . Many badly want to be mothers but are simply not able to .
So , whatever Mother ’ s Day looks like for you , I hope you are able to find some peace and enjoyment in the day , whether in the traditional sense by celebrating motherhood or by just taking some time to take care of yourself for a change . After all , especially after the year we have all just been through and the pandemic not quite yet over , we should all give ourselves some grace and indulge in some self-care .
As always , thank you for remaining a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association and I look forward to seeing you at future events .
The Docket · May 2021 5