Happy Mother's Day!

There are celebrations to honor mothers all over the world.  Here in the United States, we have officially been celebrating Mother's Day for one hundred years.  I have a very special ZIA piece to post, but first a little history lesson...

Mother's Day originated in the small town of Grafton, West Virginia.  Anna Jarvis, a school teacher there in the early 1900's, began a campaign in memory of her own mother whose prayer was that "someone would someday create a special day to honor mothers."  In 1914, her efforts prevailed when President Woodrow Wilson designated Mother's Day to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year.

Of all things, dear friends of ours, Mark and Kelley, grew up in the small town of Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna Jarvis lived and where the International Mother's Day Shrine is located today.  Mark's sister, Erin Hefferin, wrote and illustrated  a beautiful coloring/activity book entitled Anna Jarvis and the Story of Mother's Day.  (You can click here for the book's direct link on Amazon and even take a peek inside.)  The drawings are wonderful and the history lesson is invaluable.

As for me  - my husband and children have always made me feel special, especially on Mother's Day.  For that, I am most grateful and am very blessed.   They inspire me - my tangles are named for them :) - and their love and support as I pursue "all things tangled" is invaluable.

Last Mother's Day, I received a huge package in the mail from our oldest son, John.  This is what I unwrapped ~

ZIA for  Mother's Day by John D. Bruno

Talk about making a mother cry!  Happy tears, of course.  No, that is not a misspelling.  John calls me 'Momther' - an affectionate morphing of 'mom' and 'mother' - and the family refers to me by the other nicknames he listed (among others!).  Isn't it fabulous? (She asks with motherly pride;)

When John was home the Christmas before, we sat at the kitchen table for his first - and only - Zentangle lesson.  Here he is, my handsome son...

When I teach I usually take John's ZIA with me to show students what he created after just one lesson. More proof positive that "Anything is possible one stroke at a time."

Along the same lines, here  is another special Mother's Day ZIA.  Vicky Brison, a regular contributor to "It's a String Thing", sent this photo of the Mother's Day card she made for her mother -

Mother's Day card by Vicky Brison

Thank you, Vicky.

Happy Mother's Day to my very special mother, Nancy, and to mothers everywhere.

Have a wonderful weekend.