Proclamation 4743—Mother's Day, 1980

Each year, we set aside a special day of celebration to thank this Nation's mothers for the role they play in our lives.

Mother's Day 1980 finds the always demanding role of being a mother made even more complex by the choices modern women have that were not available to women of previous generations.

Today's mothers are involved in every aspect of business, politics, education, sports, the arts, the sciences, and government, and yet they still remain at the core of this Nation's greatest natural resource?the American family.

Whether they seek careers or work full time in the home, mothers contribute immensely to our Nation's future by shaping the character of our children.

That is why our observance of Mother's Day is so important. It provides us not only with an opportunity to honor our own mothers, but also to thank all the women who make this Nation stronger through their tireless devotion to their children.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, do hereby request that Sunday, May 11, 1980, be observed as Mother's Day. I direct Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings, and I urge all citizens to display the flag at their homes and other suitable places on that day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourth.

JIMMY CARTER