Mom always loved you best," is a familiar sibling cry. Implicit, ifunconscious, is another heartfelt sentiment: "We've always loved Mom best. But where's Dad? In our culture--and in our hearts--Dad always has been an alsoran. Mother's Day came first; it was declared a national holiday in 1916. Fathers didn't get their "Day" until two years later.
Today, Mom still holds primacy. More cards are bought on Mother's Day than Father's--$150 million worth versus $95 million. More long-distance calls are placed on Mom's special day (145 million, reports AT&T) than on Dad's (122 million). Not only does Dad get fewer remembrance rings, he often has to pay for the pleasure. More collect calls are placed on Father's Day than any other day of the year.
Mom's exalted status largely comes from her longtime role as chief nurturer. While Dad was toiling out there somewhere to earn a living, Mom was laboring in the home trenches tending to Junior. It was Mom who ladled out the chicken soup and wiped your runny nose when you were ill, Mom who bucked you up when you came in last in the foot race or weren't invited to your classmate's birthday party. She was there during your lowest, most vulnerable moments.
