Happy Mother's Day

(above: The International Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton, West Virginia)

Okay, Mother's Day is the last day one should be cynical about the celebration of motherhood, because there is no question that American Moms deserve their very own special, salutory day when the grand republic that is the United States of America stands up en masse and reminds our most heroic of all citizens: "WE LOVE YA, MOMMA!" (and your apple pie, too--or the World's Greatest Apple Crisp, as made by the mother of Republicus!), but Mother's Day suspiciously looks like just another government gimmick to jolt the economy with a stiff cup of coffee and keep the ball rolling.

First off, as the mother of Republicus has herself smiled, "Just one day? Everyday should be Mother's Day" (hint-hint), and every day is: We love and honor mother's no less on the other 364 days of the year...

...we just don't feel obliged to make the long-distance phone call, and/or drop a couple of bucks for a Hallmark, and/or $60.00 for flower deliveries each and every day of the year.

But on that one day of the year, multiple industries in the United States--and in now most of the rest of the world that followed suit from the American role-model-- are very busy at that time of the year, particularly the telephone companies and postal services.

In 1973, the U.S. Postal Service was inundated by so much mommy mail, it was held up for eight days.

Telephone networks are at their busiest on Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is the Number One holiday for flower purchases.

Nine years after the first official Mother's Day holiday in 1914--as declared by President Woodrow Wilson-- the woman who was it's greatest champion for national recognition-- Anna Jarvis-- bacame a major opponent of it because it went the way of all sacred American holidays, into the domain of crass commercialism.

To this day, Mother's Day is one of the most commercially successful U.S. holidays.

Well, good! says Republicus.

Nothing wrong with that.

To all you moms out there, thank you.

And Happy Mother's Day. :)