Nowadays, you may find that Mothers’ Day is over-commercialised instead of simply being a day dedicated to celebrating our mothers, their sacrifices, their love, and everything that they do for us. But why is it celebrated on a different date each year, and why don’t we celebrate it in May, which is when many countries dedicate a day to mothers?
Why is Mothers’ Day in March?
The origins of Mothering Sunday, or as we know it now, Mothers’ Day, dates back to the 16th century. Every year on the fourth Sunday in Lent, and three weeks before Easter Sunday, people working away from their place of birth would be allowed time off to visit their “mother church”, namely their home church – the main church in their village. The rite was often associated with honouring Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mothering Sunday was therefore a day to be celebrated by everyone, as families would come together in their home church.
Celebrating Mothers’ Day
The modern version of Mothers’ Day is all about celebrating your mother or someone who is like a mother to you. But it can be an emotional and challenging time for those who no longer have a mother, never knew their mother, do not have a good relationship with their mother, have lost children or desperately want to be a mother themselves. For some people Mothers’ Day is a day of real happiness, whereas for others it can seem a cruel and lonely day.
Mothers’ Day, whatever your personal situation may be, is an opportunity to show your Resilience. For those of you who have a mother to celebrate, it may seem that there is nothing Resilient about the day. But if you have read our previous blogs about the five pillars of Resilience you will have seen that resource identification plays an important part in your Resilience, especially with regards to positive relationships. So seize the opportunity on Mothers’ Day not only to thank your mother for everything she does, but also spend some time reflecting on just how much she gives you on a daily basis, and everything she has done for you throughout your life.
The power of Resilience
For those of us who do not have a mother present in our lives, then the situation is different. At difficult times in the year it’s important to focus on staying Resilient, but how do you show Resilience during these challenging times?
We can show our Resilience in various ways, for example simply allowing ourselves to grieve, rejoicing at fond memories, or identifying the ways in which we have been made stronger whether it be through the presence or absence of a mother. We can also use the “Reframe Strategy” described in our online Resilience course; instead of focusing on what we haven’t got and who we haven’t got near us on Mothers’ Day, try looking at the bigger picture and focus on what we have got, namely who is there for us, fighting our corner.
Regardless of your situation on Mothers’ Day, it’s important to remember the origins of Mothering Sunday and the coming together of families. For a lot of people, parents are an invaluable resource. The love a parent has is unconditional, but there are also other people in our lives whose actions help and support us to stay Resilient. Mothers’ Day is therefore a good opportunity to practise a key strategy of Resilience and maximise your family relationships as well as all your other positive relationships. It’s not about buying expensive bouquets of flowers, or fancy gifts, just taking some time to “be there” with a loved one either in person or virtually will make their day.
Happy Mothers’ Day from all of us at Beaumont Resilience Training.