Happy Mother’s Day from the staff of Line Drive Media!

Did you know the idea for Mother’s Day started well over a 100 years ago?

Growing up in the late 1800’s, Anna Jarvis from Webster, West Virginia, always looked up to her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who was active in organizing “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to help improve communities improve in being cleaner, more healthy and more at peace after the awful nightmare that the Civil War inflicted on the Unites States in the 1860’s.

When her mother died in 1905, the Anna worked hard to honor her mother’s legacy of caring for others and started in 1908 a movement to honor mothers everywhere with a special day of their own.

After years of working to get the public and politicians to set up a Mother’s Day, it officially became what we celebrate today when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 stating the second Sunday in May everywhere would be a national holiday.

And so that’s why today—and every May—we recognize our mothers.

We are sensitive that not every child grows up to have a strong and loving relationship with their mothers, but hopefully the bond can be one such as the one expressed by Hollyn Watkins, a 2030 catcher from Arkansas who plays in the Aces organization.

Hollyn wrote us this week and expressed her love for her own mom by saying:

“My mom is the most caring, strong, loving, and patient person I know.”

“She is the most supportive person in my life and has never missed anything of mine. When it comes to showing up, I know I can count on her.”

“My mom pushes me to be the best version of myself I can be through softball and life in general. She means the world to me and I love her so much!”

We also got a beautiful Mother’s Day tribute from Claire Lindsay, a sophomore centerfielder at Cy-Fair (Texas) High who is a blogger for us and wrote a great pieced last fall about why it’s never too late to start playing softball.

Claire, who also plays her travel ball with the Texas CF Intruders 18U – Johnson team, was the Texas 6A-17 District Newcomer of the Year last year and also earned 1^st Team All-District and Academic All-District honors.

This year, she’s helped lead Cy-Fair High to the Final 8 for the UIL Texas 6A Div. 1 State Championships and in the playoffs has batted .556 with a 1.556 OPS and had 10 hits including two triples and four doubles.

Claire, who also wrote a beautiful note in our What I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving Weekend last November, took up the call to pay tribute to her mom for today… here’s what she had to say:

*****

What makes my mom so special to me is that she’s my best friend.

She’s always there for me; she is who I drag to Hotworx (24-hour infrared fitness studio), even though she hates going.

She is there when I need to vent or want to dish some tea. She takes care of me when I’m sick, picks me up when I’m feeling down, and is there for all the great times in my life.

And don’t get me started on our shopping trips!

I could write a book about all the things that make her special to me and am proud that she’s my mom. But since this is Line Drive Media, I will talk about why she is ” softball special ” to me.

My mom volunteered to be our “Softball Commissioner” for our high school team.

She is responsible for the concession stand for all home games and for wrangling and scheduling volunteers.

She delivers our Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike’s, and Chipotle meals to the team before all of our games.

Mom also gave our locker room an amazing makeover, with couches, granite countertops, a TV, a sound system, and full-length lighted mirrors.

She helps with coaches’ gifts, fundraisers, and takes care of all the girls on the team. Truly, my mom works really hard to make their high school softball experience a memorable one that she hopes they won’t forget.