May 10, 2015

Manchin Statement on Celebrating Mother's Day

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today issued the following statement on celebrating Mother’s Day.

“Our families are so special to all of us in West Virginia, and I am especially proud that the national Mother’s Day tradition originated in Grafton, West Virginia by pioneer, Anna Jarvis. Our mothers raised us, guided us, nurtured us, taught us right from wrong, supported us and always believed in us. Almost a year ago, my beloved mother, Mary, passed away. I continue to feel her love and support every day, and I will always be grateful to have had her as my mother. So as we celebrate the 101st anniversary of National Mother’s Day, let us take the time to thank not only to our own mothers, but also our grandmothers and our wives, who have given us our beautiful children.

“Every day is Mother’s Day if you are fortunate enough to still have your mother with you, but as we celebrate this special day for our mothers, I leave you with a wonderful poem by Howard Johnson, entitled ‘Mother.’”

M - O - T - H - E - R

“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold;
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be,
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,”
A word that means the world to me.

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