This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Mother’s Day exalts womankind’s top job: motherhood. Roughly 86% of women qualify as mothers on this day of ‘grammable glory, but the celebration leaves 4 million women out in the cold. Casting a wide net, the price of admission into this 24-hour hall of fame is simple: your child. Your human child, not the furry kind with four legs and a tail — at least, if you hope to keep your dignity intact.
Though Moms deserve their special moment, the cultural rush to get all types of “moms” in on the action raises the question: Why can’t we have another holiday to celebrate all the great ladies in our lives? National Dog Mom’s Day on the same weekend doesn’t quite do it.
There should be another day to honor the women and mother figures we love, and, technically, there is: International Women’s Day. But here in the U.S., the day is synonymous with celebrating every leftist policy you can imagine. What started as a day meant to elevate all girls and women was largely co-opted by those insisting on wrestling it into something like a “Day for Women’s Rights” or “Feminist New Year’s Eve.” It was riddled with stats about women and girls who were murdered by male family members, alleged gender pay gaps, and lax laws against rape and domestic abuse.
This, according to the rules of fun parties, is the complete opposite of something a person outside the group would ever be inclined to celebrate. No offense to the tattooed girl with the fuzzy pink hair and cheek piercings working behind the counter of my local bookstore. Girl, Women’s Day is for xe/xem/you. Have the best time at the next protest for the current thing.
My first encounter with the Women’s Day concept was enlightening. At the time, I was working a side job as a food delivery driver in Los Angeles (while I hustled on becoming a famous actor, naturally). A prolific blogger for my five subscribers, I happily detailed my life as a fun SoCal gal, totally buying into the message about not needing children in order to validate my existence.
Hello, women were editors of high fashion magazines, famous actresses, and inventors of Spanx! I didn’t need to know if these boss babes had kids or could pay for nannies and IVF. The point was that their careers defined them, not their families. A killer shoe closet or a cute loft apartment was just as good. At least, that’s what I thought.
I arrived at the Bel Air home of a woman who greeted me with a smile as she emerged from an entryway that was overflowing with flowers. I assumed her sunny glow meant no one had died.
“Ooo, is it someone’s birthday?” I couldn’t think of any other occasions on March 8 and was trying to attach a story to the $400 Sugarfish sushi order I had ferried to her door.
“We’re celebrating Women’s Day!” she said. “It’s like your Mother’s Day here, but in Sweden we honor all women. These are from my husband to me,” she explained, gesturing toward an obscene arrangement of luscious white roses. Pointing to two more, she added, “And these are for our daughters.” It included all the women in the home. The pure, loving gesture of appreciation seemed nice.
I walked back to my car, wondering why the heck we didn’t do Women’s Day in the U.S. I found out later that Women’s Day was launched internationally by Marxist Clara Zetkin in early-1900s Denmark (stay with me!), spreading to millions of women worldwide who put their own spin on it. Italy’s practically covered with mimosa blossoms for La Festa della Donna. And in Russia, the national public holiday is marked by special meals, gifts, and champagne. Even in China, working women get half a day off for “self-care.” Without the heavy yoke of politics, it’s a day where every woman, young and old, blossoms into her own.
Maybe the problem is that all holidays eventually become avenues for propaganda or corporate profit. The whole Mother’s Day idea started in 1908 as an initiative by Philadelphia teacher Anna Jarvis to celebrate moms with a modest white carnation and a visit to the local church. Once President Woodrow Wilson put it on the calendar, things went off the rails. Jarvis formally disowned the holiday before she died in 1948, lamenting its commercialization. These days, greeting cards and flower bouquets have turned Mother’s Day into a $38 billion industry.
Women make up more than half the population but control 85% of purchasing power in the U.S., and they drop more than $31 trillion worldwide. As L’Oréal drilled into generations of women’s heads, “If I pay more, I feel I get more. And I’m worth it.” Sold.
On top of this relentless commercialization, Mother’s Day presents its own conundrum. The tragic loss of a child, a long struggle with infertility, or the estrangement of a family member can add stress to a day that’s marketed as being full of love and chocolate truffles. Maybe it’s an impossible task, getting it right for everyone.
I was lucky enough to get the best mom in the biz. And I enjoy participating in motherhood and raising children in a supporting role as an aunt, daughter, and sister. I also recognize the incredible dedication and hard work it takes to be a parent. You don’t hear too many stories about someone’s last words being about a compelling corporate presentation. It’s family. Full stop.
Maybe someday we’ll find a real way to recognize the value in all women and girls, just as they are. Protect Mother’s Day for mothers, and let Women’s Day celebrate women without all the corporate feminist politics. There’s got to be a way to honor our sisters, aunts, girlfriends, daughters, nurturers, neighbors, and friends, no strings attached.
