Mother's Day, 2004

( printed page 26471) Proclamation 7783 of May 7, 2004 Mother's Day, 2004 A Proclamation President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The mother is the one supreme asset of national life; she is more important by far than the successful statesman, or business man, or artist, or scientist.” Today, mothers continue to be an important part of our national character. On Mother's Day, we honor the women whose steadfast love and wisdom have made America a better place. During the Civil War, Julia Ward Howe, author of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” proposed renaming July 4 as Mother's Day and a day dedicated to peace. Anna Reeves Jarvis also began working for a similar holiday and sponsored a Mother's Friendship Day in her hometown to reunite families divided by the war. It was not until 2 years after her mother's death that her daughter, Anna M. Jarvis, started the campaign for the observance of Mother's Day in the United States. By 1911, Mother's Day was observed in nearly every State of the Union, and in 1914, responding to a joint resolution of the Congress, President Woodrow Wilson officially designated Mother's Day a national observance. Motherhood is a rewarding and often difficult job. A mother is a child's first teacher and affects a child's life like few others can. Effective mothers can inspire their sons and daughters to love themselves and others, work hard, make healthy choices, serve causes greater than self, and achieve their dreams. Mothers who protect, teach, and nurture their children with all their hearts strengthen their families and help build a better future for our country. This Mother's Day, we express our heartfelt thanks to our mothers for their unconditional love and guidance. We take time to recognize the many mothers who are supporting their brave sons and daughters in the Armed Forces, and the many others who are themselves serving proudly in defense of America's freedom and security. The service and sacrifice of these…