Mama, Mom, Mommy, Mother spells love to our ears and hearts. When we are given the title of Mom, Mother, etc. it changes our lives forever. 

This Sunday we celebrate the lives of those we call mother. Whomever we refer to as mother holds a special place in our hearts. In the United States,

Anna Jarvis at Andrew’s Methodist church in Grafton, W.V.—where her mother had served as a Sunday School teacher for over 20 years—celebrated the first Mother’s Day. This was in honor of her late mother, Mrs. Jarvis, who had held “Mother’s Friendship Day” to heal the pain of the Civil War. Anna Jarvis’ steady campaign moved President Woodrow Wilson to declare that Mother’s Day should be celebrated as a national holiday on the second Sunday in May. Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Japan and many other countries celebrate Mother’s Day the second Sunday in May. Mexico celebrates Mother’s Day on May 10; Albania on March 8; Russia on Nov. 28; Indonesia on Dec. 22; Norway, second Sunday in February; Egypt, March 21; and the list goes on. 

One central truth about mothers is “that mothering matters.” Mothering not only affects children and families, but it affects communities, towns and the world. 

As a teacher of young children, early childhood is such a critical time in a child’s life of bonding, learning, the molding of a child’s personality, learning how to adjust, socially interacting with other children as well as adults. Not only is a child’s ability to learn at an early age, but their ability to love is a need at an early age. A mother’s nurturing love and those people who touch your child’s life at an early age build the foundation of the child’s ability to adjust to his or her environment. The bonding that happens with folks who love them affects a child’s entire self structure, who they are and identity.

Mothering is demanding and at times we get tired; it may seem that we lack patience with our young children. But I have found over the years that young children are forgiving and seem to understand.

Our children are our best cheerleaders in the challenges of mothering.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears every other week in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.