“Mom” is one of the first words that children say when learning to talk. Mothers are like angels on Earth who warm you with their wings and who protect and love you. To each one of us when we enter this world, God gifts us this angel to guide us through all our adventures.

Our mothers walk with us through the turbulent weather of life, and through happiness and grief. Much like flowers do not grow without the sun, without our mothers, new human life cannot appear in this world. 

A mother is a tree under whose branches we can always hide from life’s many storms. Our moms give us the greatest gift: life. We are reflected in the eyes of our mothers. They laugh with us, cry with us, dream with us, and love with us. 

Our mothers help us with our first steps in a room, on the street, and later on in life. Because of us, we will always be in debt to them. When our mothers are with us, we always remain children, even if we are already adults. Thanks to our mothers, we learn to distinguish between good and evil, and to value every moment of our lives. 

They teach us to love this world, to love humanity, and to serve them to the best of our abilities. Our mothers are one of the most important people in our lives, and one of our first teachers. They teach us how to walk our first steps, how to pronounce our first words, and how to swim in the large sea of life. Without these lessons, our development as individuals would simply not be possible. For our mothers we do not have to occupy a high position in society, or be wealthy; they always accept us the way we are. There are no good days and bad days for our mothers, because they are always ready and willing to help us at any moment in life and with any situation. Our mothers are the most trustworthy people in our lives who will never leave us to face challenges on our own and who will always stand by our side until our challenges are resolved. 

Because of all that our mothers do, we have a holiday to cherish them. Every year, on the second Sunday of May, Mother’s Day is celebrated. This holiday is known from ancient times and has been celebrated through many centuries. In ancient Greece, people worshiped a goddess named Gaia, who was the mother of all the gods. In England, people began celebrating Mother’s Day in the 17th century.

In 1910 in the United States, Mother’s Day was established thanks to Anna Marie Jarvis, an American from Philadelphia who wanted to express gratitude to her mother who raised her and 12 other children, as well as to all other mothers. Jarvis chose the second Sunday of May for Mother’s Day. Canada followed suit in 1914.  

Mother’s Day is a day of thankfulness, since to be a mother is to care and to constantly remind the world that through love, kindness, tenderness, and compassion we can make the world a better place to live. The whole world begins with mothers’ love, from their greatest gifts: life, light, and a good-natured heart. 

On this wonderful day, I would like to thank all mothers in Edmonton for their hard work and dedication to their children. Thank you for your love, generosity, and kindness, and for always being there for us even in the most difficult times and standing by our side. Happy Mother’s Day!