Proclamation 6893

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

America's mothers hold a special place in our hearts, providing the lessons and care that have enabled generations of children to embrace the opportunities of this great land. They embody the compassion, devotion, and energy that have always defined our national character, and their daily efforts anchor our country's commitment to the fundamental values of respect and tolerance. Mothers impart both the strength that enables us to face our challenges and the love that comforts and sustains us.

As we honor our Nation's mothers for past and present accomplishments, we recognize that mothers' roles have changed significantly in recent years. Today, mothers are CEOs and teachers, physicians and nurses, elected officials and PTA presidents, police officers and volunteers, homemakers and heads of households. Many serve on the front lines of the struggle against violence and poverty. These women-problem-solvers, caregivers, and teachers-are using their talents in every sector of our society, helping all Americans to look forward with hope and faith in the future.

Mother's Day has long been a welcome opportunity to celebrate motherhood and to remember our mothers-whether biological, foster, or adoptive. To reflect on all we have gained from our mothers' guidance and to remember their sacrifices, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in May each year as "Mother's Day" and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 12, 1996, as Mother's Day. I urge all Americans to express their gratitude for the many contributions made by our mothers and to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 8, 1996]