Do you know that May has many special days?
May 1 celebrates: the 48th proclamation of Law Day for the protection of our rights and freedom and the principles of justice; Loyalty Day, initiated in 1950 by Veterans of Foreign Wars as a National Day of Patriotism reaffirms our allegiance to our country. This year's theme is Patriotism Within The Corps of Discovery; and Labour Day honors the labor movement that resulted in fairer working hours and conditions we now enjoy.
May 5, celebrates Cinco de Mayo, to remind the world that Mexico was willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention (in this case, against the French occupation); National Day of Prayer when millions of Americans unite to pray for our country and our leaders. This year, the them is "God shed His grace on thee," Officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 and first observed on May 30, 1868, Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service
Other special days that focus on service as the common denominator.

May 6 celebrates National Nurses Day for all the nurses who make our medical visits and hospital care more comforting and Provider Appreciation Day which started in 1996 to recognize child care providers, teachers and educators of young children everywhere.

May 10, celebrates National Receptionist Day for those who give their best customer service in one's small and large business. For Tessie's Serenity SPA, I personally thank Rachelle, Maria, Khristine, Charlene, Stacy and Cecille for giving their best with a common goal of making each of our guest's visit a pleasant experience.

On May 21, we celebrate Armed Forces Day to salute the men and women who protect our country. Proclaimed by President Harry Truman, on February 20, 1950, it replaced separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.This single-day, third Saturday of May, is the result of the unification of the departments under the Department of Defense. Also on May 21 is National Waiter/Waitress Day. Our lifestyle forces a good number of us to depend on eating out. The demand for quick yet perfect dining experience has made a food server's job one of the top most stressful jobs. This will be a good day to give a word of compliment to your server when you dine out.

My two personal May favorites honor those who mold our society, our minds, our faith and the people that we are - our teachers and our moms.
National Teacher Day, celebrated on the Tuesday of the first full week of May, May 3rd this year, honors the lasting contribution of our teachers in our lives. For me, they are: Mrs. Victa, 2nd grade), for instilling in me the desire to get better grades; Miss Julve (4th grade), for allowing me to be her "little helper" that gave me the confidence that I had something to contribute and Miss Garcia (2nd year high school English advisor and Journalism teacher) who taught me the value of volunteerism and who encouraged me to be part of her Journalism class and editorial team which resulted in my love for writing.

And my most favorite of all is Mother's Day. First observed in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1907 and celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May, it honors our moms for all their labors of love. From her gentle touches to the steady hand that stops us from our walking to wrong side of the tracks; from the careful guiding us with our first steps to the curfew restrictions; from the sweet breast milk to the big turkey dinners; from the loving whispers of encouragement to the silent look to let us know we've crossed the line; from the sweet lullaby puts her baby to sleep to the loud cheering when her children hits homerun; from the tears of anxiety on her child's first day of school to the tears of joy when her child receives her diploma - moms are the best! No book is big enough nor is there time enough to describe a woman's love for her child who wants nothing but to feel our hugs and to hear us say, "Thanks Mom. I love you."