A Mother’s Day for Peace

It’s no surprise that women and mothers lead the way in fighting for positive change for their families and communities. In fact, Mother’s Day was originally proposed by more than one enterprising woman. The holiday’s roots are activism and purpose—from cultivating peace to advocating for education and public health to acknowledging women’s priceless role in the hard work of 19th-century daily life.

Known as Mother Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis encouraged peace after the Civil War by promoting Mothers’ Friendship Day, a time to bring families from both sides together.

Heidi Stonehill writes in “The Forgotten History of Mother’s Day,” “…in what is called her ‘Mother’s Day Proclamation’ from 1870, Julia Ward Howe felt that mothers should gather to prevent the cruelty of war and the waste of life since mothers of mankind alone bear and know the cost.”

Jump to the 1970s Vietnam-war era, and I remember my mom wearing a distinctive pin engraved with a sunflower and the words “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” She joined the organization, Another Mother for Peace, and their first action was to send Mother’s Day cards to Congress with these words:

“For my Mother’s Day gift this year,

I don’t want candy or flowers.

I want an end to killing.

We who have given life

must be dedicated to preserving it.

Please talk peace.”

President Woodrow Wilson dedicated Mother’s Day “to the best mother in the world, your mother,” and all these years later, we celebrate mothers and mothering, biological or not. Even with all the hype and commercialism, Mother’s Day has a reverence to it, perhaps a reflection of the ideals that inspired it— and certainly inherent in this special time set aside to honor the mother who made us. —Hillary Black, Editor

Frustrated with finding plastic packaging on almost every product you buy, knowing the energy used to produce (and recycle) it—and how long (450 years!) it can take to decompose? I know I am. Globally, personal care products alone contribute more than 120 billion units of plastic annually and most are not recyclable. One way to lower our carbon footprint by reducing single-use plastics is to take our purchasing dollars to a “refillery.” A net-zero option found also at health food, co-op, and farmers markets, refilleries are popping up as stand-alone retail shops. Bring reusable containers (or buy theirs) and fill with eco-conscious home and personal care products and, often, food items, too.

I belong to Co-Opportunity Market in Santa Monica, California where I scoop nuts, beans, spices, grains and more from their bins and refill my clean glass jars. Recently, my friend and fellow writer, Erika Kotite, and I attended an event in Orange County, California, and added a stop at Eco Now refill store to our trip. The sun through the windows lit up the rows of glass jars and made the little shop sparkle, inviting us to linger. There was much more there than I needed today: makeup, handmade bar soaps, perfumes. But I was making mental notes for future gifts and more.

I refilled my old plastic laundry bottle with concentrated, biodegradable laundry soap (the empty bottle was weighed first), purchased a small refillable glass jar of chemical-free toothpaste, and took note of the vat of dish soap and variety of hair-care products offered for my next visit.The high price of laundry soap surprised me but I was assured I only needed a tablespoon or two per load. Erika confirmed this and also the fact that it will last longer of course. We left, happy with our purchases and glad to support the environmentally-conscious mission of both the products’ makers and this local business. To find a refill shop in your area, check this refill directory. —Hillary Black, Editor

Eco Now refill shop, Garden Grove, California.

Erika Kotite refilling toothpaste tablets.

As Earth’s polar ice caps melt and seasons here in Pennsylvania become milder, I get nostalgic about Climate Normalcy. Once upon a time, when I dreaded icy roads and frigid temperatures, I’d have thought less ice and today’s gentler winters were the answer to our prayers. Not so now. When I think about the Big Picture, that our human activity is messing with all life on our Holy Planet, I’d rather deal with short-term winter hassles than face irreversible climate degradation… [READ The Newsletter HERE]