Mother's Day

Mother's Day was the brain-child of Anna Jarvis. Her mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist caring for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Ann organized Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. After she died, Anna campaigned to make Mother's Day an annual event, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday honoring mothers. But some folks honor mothers more than one day each year.

Katy Simcox and her 3-year-old son Maddox.

Katy Simcox, of Henderson, KY, balances motherhood with her job in a nursing home. Recently she took her son Maddox to a restaurant for lunch. "I was just listening to him and talking to him," she said, when a waitress came to her table and told her not to worry about the tab, because a woman sitting nearby had just paid it. Simcox thanked the woman, who said she'd never seen a young mother who was so caring toward her child. "Other moms can learn a few things from you," she said. According to Katy, "It's not the kind of thing you hear often, and it made me feel really good." The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave Katy her contact information and invited her to call if she ever needs extra support."