[Apologies to Anne Gibbons - please send a link because I could not find your article online anywhere, even on the News & Advance site, so typed it out until I can link it to the original source. Anne Gibbons is a chaplain at Lynchburg College and her article on Mother's Day I felt should be shared in the interwebz:] "Like so many other holidays, Mother's Day has become an opportunity for card makers, department stores, florists and restaurant owners to turn a profit. And I admit that I am one who appreciates the special attention given to this day. However, I'm also a little sorry and disappointed that the actual origin for the holiday has been greatly overshadowed by the consumerism with which Mother's Day is now associated. The impetus for the holiday originated with Julia Ward Howe, known primarily as the poet who penned the words for 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.' In 1870, Howe became outraged by the ravages of the Civil and Franco-Prus...