Let me be among the first to extend warm wishes to all mothers across the great state as we pause to honor and celebrate motherhood.
Grafton native Anna Jarvis is widely recognized as the founder of Mother’s Day. But her mother, Ann Jarvis, played an essential and often overlooked role. According to the National Park Service, Ann Jarvis established Mothers’ Day Work Clubs during the Civil War to promote public health and care for soldiers—Union and Confederate alike. After the war, she organized a “Mother’s Friendship Day” to encourage healing between families on both sides of the conflict.
Ann passed away in 1905, but her legacy deeply moved Anna, who began a national campaign to formally honor mothers. The first official Mother’s Day service took place on May 10, 1908, at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton. Just six years later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday, calling it a “public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”
As is often the case, a proud West Virginian helped spark something that would ripple across the nation. That, too, is worth celebrating.
So, as you prepare to treat Mom to a special meal this Sunday, surround her with the scent of fresh flowers, and take a quiet moment to tell her just how much she means to you. These gestures matter—but more than that, it’s the daily expressions of love and appreciation that truly count.
For those who no longer have that opportunity, Sunday may be a day of remembrance for a mother, grandmother, aunt, or special woman who filled the role. As you reflect, may peace fill your heart, and a smile grace your face.
If life has brought distance or estrangement between mother and child, consider the gift of reconciliation. Forgiveness is powerful and it opens the door to healing. Act before it’s too late.
And let’s not forget the mothers who have lost a child. For them, this day can be especially tender. Even when peace has come, the ache never truly fades. I know this firsthand. My grandmother lost her teenage son, and though she rarely spoke of him on Mother’s Day, her heart always carried the weight. She often said, “God took one, but gave me four grandsons in his place.” Her strength—and her silence—spoke volumes.
If you know such mothers, those who carry quiet grief, reach out to them on Sunday. A simple word may mean more than you know.
Happy Mother’s Day to all.