"Happy Money's Day"

          That one Sunday morning when we arise with the sun, perhaps rattling away in the kitchen with alien pots and pans, trying to fry up a decent omelette to impress our mothers with a five-star breakfast in bed! Quietly bustling around and creating a work of art on a breakfast tray along with a steaming cup of creamy coffee and a scattered bunch of baby flowers.
          "Mother's Day" was celebrated recently on Sunday 30th March 2014, a day dedicated to the beautiful woman who gave birth to an awesome creation, shed all her love and care for us and always got our backs - no matter how old or independent we became.
          The dates vary across different countries but in the UK it is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent (along with Ireland and Nigeria). Its origins go all the way back to 1908 in West Virginia, United States when an individual, Anna Jarvis, held a memorial for her late mother who was involved in mothers day activities during her life. Jarvis went on to campaigning for it and was later successful as "Mother's Day" became a recognized holiday in the States, and this was also when the phrase "Second Sunday in May" was trademarked. Many countries altered the date to go along with another significant event, for example, Mothering Sunday in Britain. Point to note: Mothering Sunday was not actually dedicated to mothers but instead was in celebration of the Mother church.
          And indeed, an amazing mum deserves an amazing day, but this heart-felt appreciation has been commercialized into balloons, cards, cake - money. Not that I have anything against celebrations but sometimes I wonder whether it's still really heart-felt or has lost its feelings, if not its meaning. Is it still an 'I-Love-You-Mummy Day' or 'Hey-Let's-Follow-The-Crowd Day'?

          Is there anything wrong with buying your mum a cake? Is there anything wrong with getting her the jewellery she wanted? Is there anything wrong with treating your mum to a well-deserved day in the spa? No, I don't see how these could be wrong at all. But what is wrong, is when you realize it's Mother's Day tomorrow which means you have to do something ('cause everybody else is) so you go off to Thorntons and buy some willy-nilly chocolates for the sake of it - in that case, it purely comes down to commercialism.

          Going back to the origins; it is meant to be a day dedicated to a super woman, to show appreciation. The day allows millions across the world to stop and give thanks to their carer. Next Mother's Day let's mean it, make it count and make it so that it makes a difference to you and your mother. 

          Create a balance. 

          And of course, most of us participate in this one-day event with a lot of enthusiasm but I have no doubt that we all love and respect our beautiful mothers all year round, regardless of the purpose and existence of Mother's Day.

Disclaimer: At no point have I had the intention to criticize the movement. My aim is just to put the history and origins within the perspective of today, and leave some food for thought along the way.

God bless :)

Green & Global: Earth Hour

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." -American Proverb

          Heavily relying on technology, we often forget the natural part of our day. Constantly engaged in the hustle and bustle of home, school and work, we don't appreciate the goodness in our daily lives. Whether you are a single parent, a full-time student or a social worker (or even all three at once!), you are bound to be affected by the robotic way of life we seem to have adopted. Perhaps it is time we stopped during the day and noticed our environment - something we may not have time for, but can definitely incorporate within our schedule.
         
          This year, the Earth Hour was scheduled on 29th March, 08:30-09:30pm local time. By participating in the international Earth Hour, millions across the world had an opportunity to sit back and watch the beautiful night sky (even if the city lights mask the brightness of the stars) without artificial light or portable devices for 3,600 seconds. And what better way to raise awareness of Earth, our home, than to participate in a free, global and eco-friendly event that could be spent with friends and family or even in personal reflection!

          In addition to some private quality time, you save electricity that would be used - 60 minutes watching the telly, the microwave on standby mode, mobile phone charger left plugged in, etc.

When I learnt of this international campaign, I thought it was a rather creative and brilliant way to raise awareness of going green! I found out through 'The Development Society', a youth volunteers group based in Tanzania whose aim is to strive towards the best. Similarly, we can put those technical advances to use by spreading the word!
You may have missed the Earth Hour but you can always contribute in other ways.

#LetsGoGreen

Use Your Power To Make Change A Reality...
Visit: http://www.earthhour.org