Last weekend, we celebrated Mother’s Day. A day that, for me, recalls sweet memories of my children gifting me construction paper cards drenched in Elmer’s Glue and bedazzled with glitter. And, of my husband lavishly showering me with gifts, praise, and thanks for the day-to-day work of motherhood.
It also brings me back to my own childhood: the excitement of surprising my dear mom with flowers and making her breakfast in bed, and the May Crowning each year during my Catholic school days at St. Mary’s of the Assumption.
Now…I’m a grandmother! This year, I was especially overjoyed to spend Mother’s Day with my (now adult) children and to experience the beauty of seeing my eldest daughter enjoy her own Mother’s Day.
So, when I was scrolling through my feed and saw the headline, “Celebrating Mother’s Day with Your Fur Babies: Fun and Safe Ideas for Dog Owners,” I stopped.
Wait… what?!
That’s right. Fur babies. Has it really come to this?
Over a hundred years ago, Anna Jarvis campaigned for a national day to honor mothers after her own mother’s death. In 1914, Mother’s Day was declared a national holiday. Ironically, Anna later fought against the holiday’s commercialization.
As the chief marketer at Catholic Answers, I must confess—I love a clever angle to sell just about anything: greeting cards, flowers, candy, and a good Catholic apologetics book, of course. I appreciate the craft.
But Mother’s Day was never meant to be just another marketing opportunity. It was meant to be a sincere, personal expression of gratitude for one’s mother.
And that is where we’ve begun to lose sight of the day.
Motherhood is not a cute consumer category. It is not a vibe. It is not a pet-owner personality trait. It is not something we should flatten into a clever sales hook.
To be a mother is to give, nurture, and protect life. To pour yourself out for another human being in ways that are often hidden, exhausting, sacrificial, and holy.
Yes, love your pets. Buy them treats. Take them on walks. Put them in ridiculous sweaters if you must.
But Mother’s Day belongs to mothers.
I recently laid my mother to rest after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. And my mom did more than feed, comfort, and protect me as a dog owner might. Instead, she taught me virtue, truth, and responsibility. She taught me confidence. She taught me to read and to love words through her love of reading and writing. She taught me to love even when it seems impossible, to pray always, to persevere, and to be a true friend, always putting others first. And yes, she taught me to sing, to laugh at myself, to dream big, and to root fiercely for the people you love.
In short, my mother formed me. It was through her I learned the most important truth: I’m made in the image and likeness of God.
Now, I have the task of carrying her memory forward, to pass on the Faith to my children and grandchildren as she did. And that is a much greater task than teaching a dog to sit or lie down.
As my mother’s daughter, I’m more than just a member of a household like “Fido” or “Fifi.” I’m part of a lineage—her lineage. A lineage that will continue with my children, who are my flesh and blood, and who share our hopes and history.
Perhaps it’s time for us, like Anna Jarvis, to protest. Not against flowers or cards or brunch, but against the cheapening of a holy vocation.
So, let’s take Mother’s Day back.
Call your mother. Pray for her. Thank her. Visit her grave. Honor the women who have mothered you. And if you are blessed to bear the title of mother, may you carry that honor with joy.
Because motherhood cannot be reduced to a marketing scheme. It’s a crown.