In today's Rewind Robert Smith offers his best wishes to all mothers in the reading audience and also provides a few insights, a little story and an old photo pertaining to Mother's Day.

I wish to extend my personal best wishes to all mothers on this very special day. It is a day set aside to honour and celebrate the lives of those who are so important in our world. While we should be so generous and thoughtful every day, on this day we do the little extras. Mother's Day as a special occasion is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year dating back to 1914. It was exactly one hundred years ago that then U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating this day as one to be set aside to honour all mothers. Since then people across the land have been celebrating this day with joy and devotion. It is now celebrated in 46 countries, not all on the same date.

When I was growing up we apparently looked at things very differently. In my class at school I would doubt that any of the mothers of my 35 or 40 classmates would qualify as "working mothers" as we define the term today. Instead of "working" they busied themselves each day doing things like mothering, homemaking, cooking, baking, canning, preserving, making lunches, sewing, cleaning, gardening, washing, ironing, scrubbing floors, painting, decorating, driving kids places, helping neighbours in need...... .This was all of course in addition to being a wife. Sounds a bit like "work" to me.

It is difficult to believe that despite the importance of a mother's job that it remains probably the world's poorest paying job. It is a task that has no starting or quitting times, no days off, a pretty skimpy benefits package and all too often not even a 'Thanks'. Despite all of these obvious negatives, the world continues to have a multitude of wonderful mothers. I have been fortunate in my lifetime to see the absolute best of the skills of mothering through my own mother, in my wife (the best of all) and through our daughters. It has been an ongoing blessing.

I would suggest that if your mother is still living that you do something special for her and tell her how much she means to you and above all that you love her. If she has passed on, then at least pause for a short time and remember what a great influence she has bestowed upon your life.

A Special Mother's Day Celebration

(L-R): Vernon Dancer, Stanley Dancer, Mrs. Helen Dancer (their mother), Mr. Alvin Weil (Roosevelt Raceway President) and Harold Dancer. All three sons were noted drivers. [Harness Horse photo]

Over the years I am sure there have been a lot of special events and even private happenings to commemorate Mothers Day in the world of harness racing. One that was publicized in the horse journals occurred in 1965 at Roosevelt Raceway's Promenade Cafe. On this occasion which happened on May 9th that year, a special presentation was made to Mrs. Helen Dancer the 74-year-old matriarch of one of the sport's most famous families. The celebration was attended by over 1,000 people which included many family members, owners, trainers, drivers and racing officials. Foremost among the attendees were her 12 grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Mrs. Dancer, accompanied by her husband James, was presented with the Harness Racing Institute's "Mother Of The Year" award by Roosevelt President Alvin Weil.

A Mother Shows The Way

I recently received a wonderful note from someone who is a member of one of our sport's longest serving families. While writing on an unrelated subject he told a story well worth retelling as it pertains to Mother's Day in the world of horses. Charles Lawrence of Blenheim recalled that many years ago as his father Gordon entered the horse business, he saw the path to success started with securing a good "mother" in his stable. He purchased a mare named Miss Grattan Bars II a foal of 1928, from Johnny Forbes (father of the late Jack Forbes of Cedarwood fame) for $ 50.

Early in her career she was kicked by another horse, breaking her jaw and she subsequently went totally blind. However, she went on to raise a succession of very successful horses whose descendants including those that Charles has bred and raised in recent years. Among them would be Justice Cam and Judge Cam, whose combined earnings exceed $1.2 million. Despite her blindness, she was able to faithfully care for her foals and lead them the entire length of his grandfather's 120 acre farm to the back pasture. Through her motherly instincts, the journey was made regularly and included the crossing of two bridges; not once was there ever a misstep. Now that was the work of a great and caring Mother.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." - Theodore Hesburgh