There are few things better in the world like mothers. Since birth, mothers have been by childrens’ sides to comfort and nurture them. Sometimes mothers are taken for granted. That’s why the special Mother’s Day holiday comes up once a year to remind how special moms are. The holiday not only reminds of how much mothers mean to, but it shows moms that they are cared for.
Mother’s Day has been a traditional holiday in America since 1914. The American version of the celebration was organized by Anna Jarvis in 1908 before it was officially recognized as a holiday. It started out with simple things like giving beloved mothers treats and special attention before it grew into the extravagant event we know today. Many people shower mothers in affection and set aside the whole day to spend with their mom, They take her out to fancy restaurants, shopping, and follow her as she enjoys her day. Some people who stick to the more traditional and classic method of celebration: bringing mom breakfast in bed, making handmade cards, giving her coupons for chores, and all the fun and sweet little gestures that kids have been doing for a long time.
Local Boulder Creek Resident Sherina Arnaud talks about Mother’s Day memories with her mother: “Every morning I would make her French toast, it was hard to mess up, unless you burnt it.” Arnaud spent very casual days during the holiday with her mother, and eventually her own children. She says, “When my daughter got older, we went to the San Jose flea market. Later on, her friends and their single mothers would join us, until we were a group of single mothers and daughters roaming around.” Mrs. Arnaud was asked about one of her most memorable Mother’s Day memories with her children and responded by saying, “When I was newly single I decided to take them out for a special Mother’s Day treat. We had dinner at the Brookdale Lodge, and ended up having a terrible dinner. But we didn’t care, so then afterwards we all wanted to go horseback riding. So we went over to San Jose, where we went over to an area in Almaden Valley, which was back back in the day when it wasn’t so congested. So I was on my horse, my fastest horse, and we came upon a stream. My horse jumped over it, and my daughter was behind me. Hers went around it, and my sons went right through the middle of it. A terrible dinner, but wonderful horseback riding.”
Members of the community have fond memories of time spent on Mother’s Day, and the fun traditions they honor year after year. Freshman Sophia Swift says, “Every Mother’s Day my sister and I usually get up early and make a nice breakfast for my mom while she’s sleeping and ‘surprise’ her when she wakes up.”
“We went whale watching one Mother’s Day,” college graduate Katherine “Kana” Fergenson says, fondly remembers her Mother’s Day traditions. “Every [Mother’s] Day, Mom and I would either go hiking or running down the beach. Then we would go down to the San Jose shooting range. Then we would get some sort of takeout and eat while watching a movie together. Since she moved back [to Colorado], we make Skype calls and talk for a while, or I’ll fly out and follow our usual tradition,” says Fergenson.
Sherina Arnaud gives some advice for those of the younger generation. In our modern culture, mothers are underappreciated, and many people don’t have a mother to turn to. She recommends that people, “pass the love down from generation to generation,” encouraging mothers and children alike express their love for each other. Arnaud and local resident Sabrina Shewfelt speak more on the absence of mothers. Shewfelt says, “After my mom died, I turned to my Aunt Kathy. She was like a mother figure to me, and always gave me pearls of wisdom.” Both Shewfelt and Arnaud felt strongly about the younger generation being able to have a mother figure to turn to in their time of need.
Mothers and woman figures are precious and important beings. They serve as role models, they show the ways of life, and they teach right from wrong. Mothers, although they play such a large role in our lives, are underappreciated. As children grow up, they start to take that loving bond for granted. This Mother’s Day, take some time to show your mom or mother figure how special and loved she is. Show her how much you care on a daily basis and have a goal to make a special gesture towards your mom or role model everyday.
By Cat Shewfelt
The Claw 