CHILDREN’S DAY

GOOD MORNING WORLD

The first of June each year would find my Sunday School honoring we children.  We had Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and somewhere in there our church sandwiched Children’s Day.  I have no earthly idea why.  I cannot remember if we had a sort of recital or not.  In the back of my brain is a niggle that we did indeed have to remember some short ‘piece’ of something to stand on the altar and say for the congregation.

Children’s Day interested me enough to do a wee bit of research.  It seems that a Children’s Day observance predates Mother and Father’s Days.  The earliest mention I could find of it was in 1956 when a pastor of a UniversalistChurchin Massachusets set aside a day for the dedication of children to the church.  In 1883 the Congregationalists (of which I was one) adopted it as a celebration for the second Sunday of June.  It has not made it to a National Holiday though Presidents Clinton and Bush 43 did make proclamations.  In Wikipedia I found the following:  Children’s Day was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton to be held on October 11, 1998,^[23] in response to a letter written by a six year old boy inquiring if he would make a Children’s Day for him. “National Child’s Day” was proclaimed by President George W. Bush as June 3, 2001 and in subsequent years on the first Sunday in June.^[24]    I do not believe it has continued as I have found no evidence to verify such.

What I do remember about Children’s Day is that we dressed up every year and we received a flower.  It was usually a red, orange and gold marigold.  From this vantage point I am thinking they were cheap and sturdy.  I still like marigolds.  As a want to be horticulturist aka: weekend gardener, I learned that marigolds are good for our gardens as they keep aphids away.  I usually planted them as a border.

Again, being the information junkie that I am, I decided to look up further information on marigolds.  I discovered that, under the name Calendula, it is an effective herb to treat skin problems.  The skin problems ran the gauntlet from varicose veins through hemorrhoids to as an ointment helping sunburns and warts.  In the 12th century one man even believed that looking at them would help your eyesight.

I am not sure I can get on board with that belief.  What I can believe and state quite equivocally is that those marigolds warmed my heart as the summer sun warms our bodies.  It was the warmth of a hug from someone you love.  I often wonder who did the planting or purchasing of all these flowers.  While we were not a large congregation I am betting there were at least 25-50 children receiving plants.  What I do not need to wonder about is the happiness I felt when I stood marigold in hand.  I was part of something really nice.  I was a happy child and part of a church family. This Sunday morning I am thinking this is a lot of what our Christian faith is all about.

Perhaps I will plant marigolds this year.  As I head for church may the Peace of Christ be with you.

…ONWARD TO MORE MISADVENTURE…