FLORAL TRIBUTE
Maria Meneses started delivering flowers to women in a nursing home on Mother's Day three years ago, as a tribute to her late mother and out of a desire to serve others. (CNS/Ana Rodriguez-Soto, Florida Catholic)
Posted on 04/28/2008 1:14:27 PM PDT by NYer
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CNS) -- Maria Meneses has a vision, but in order to see it through, she needs help.
The vision: to deliver a rose to all female patients in nursing homes on Mother's Day. Her inspiration came from a desire to pay tribute to her late mother, Eneyda Meneses, who cared for a sick aunt in a nursing home for many years.
"I don't have a mom. How else can I celebrate?" said Meneses, a parishioner of St. Patrick's on Miami Beach who made an Emmaus retreat eight years ago.
One of the central themes of Emmaus is service to others, and Meneses said that after she made her retreat she yearned to give something back to Jesus as a small token of thanks.
Like her favorite saint, St. Therese, the Little Flower of Lisieux, "We change the world a little bit at a time," Meneses said. "A little flower makes a big difference because it touches somebody's life."
Meneses has been delivering flowers to a nursing home near her home for the past three years. She hopes to inspire others to join the bandwagon, especially people like herself who have made an Emmaus retreat. She hopes they will agree that delivering flowers to forgotten moms one day a year is an ideal form of service.
"We need to be light-bearers," she said. "What a wonderful feeling to see Christ's light in others.
"People who give have a sense of joy which is unparalleled -- what a gift and a special grace that is," said Meneses, who was also inspired by the film "Pay It Forward."
She said the world needs more random acts of kindness, anything from a simple smile to holding a door or allowing someone the right of way when you drive. Or giving a flower to a woman confined to a nursing home, many of whom are very lonely.
"I can't tell you the number of patients who remember me each year when I visit. They smile because they feel appreciated and loved. The world needs more love," Meneses said.
While no one needs to survive traumatic surgery to live life with a sense of purpose, Meneses admits that a brush with death changed her outlook. After going through scary spinal-cord surgery at age 22 and emergency colon surgery more recently, she is acutely aware of her own mortality.
"I live (life) urgently and with purpose," she said. "I've always wanted to make a difference in the world, even if it is in some small way. So if I can get other Emmaus brothers and sisters or anyone else to help out, that would be fantastic. More is better."
According to Meneses, the ideal scenario would be for each parish to sponsor or adopt a nearby nursing home.
"This would spread the idea throughout the archdiocese, and then kindness and love can spread exponentially," she said.
One good friend and fellow Emmaus participant, Juan Llarena, has been assisting Meneses with the purchase, preparation and distribution of flowers each year. Several women also help her distribute the roses each year.
"I've had mothers come out with their daughters and to have that participation is beautiful to see," Meneses said.
She knows a vendor who sells the roses for about $8 per dozen, so the investment is minimal. The only labor involved is removing the thorns from the roses in order to make sure they don't prick anyone, and perhaps tying a ribbon around them.
Meneses cites the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta to express her feelings: "We will be your hands. We will be your feet. We will run this race for the least of these -- the unwanted, the unloved. They are Jesus in disguise."
This is a wonderful idea! I plan to bring it to the women’s auxiliary meeting to see how we can implement it next year.
That is a great idea. Even for Father’s Day too.
Hmmmmmm, what a wonderful person to do such a wonderful thing
How nice.
Can you imagine mothers in a nursing home with no children visiting them? I can’t. It breaks my heart. What a wonderful way to help these mothers remember when they were young mothers and then to help them remember their own mothers. God bless this woman.
Showers of Roses! Dear St. Therese, pray for us!
Tears in my eyes. I found a rose in the pews after Mass Saturday eve, so I laid it at the feet of our little friend. ;) Nice website, Dita.
What a lovely and yet simple idea!
I, too, am going to look into getting this going in our community!
God Bless her!
You found a rose... what a blessing:)
I just realized the link doesn’t show what I want it to.
Scrolling down on the left, there is a button for Novena to St. Therese. I will start on May 9, the recommended day.
It shows the Seven Sorrows which is just as nice. ;)
Yes, it breaks my heart too.
De Colores!
I can’t think of a better way to pay tribute to my own Ma! She so loved flowers.
Thanks so much for posting this story. This Mother’s Day is going to be great!!
mrs
I know. Can’t imagine. My mother and father are both gone and I would bring them back in a heartbeat if I could.
Think that's sad ... when my grandmother was dieing in the hospice ward of a hospital, I took a walk down the hall. The rooms were filled with the dieing and no visitors. The nurse said it was not uncommon for family members to call to find out if their 'loved one' had already passed. No one should die alone!
I agree, great idea. I’m going to call our Visiting Committee and see if they’re doing Mother’s Day flowers, and if not, we’ll offer to sponsor it for next year. It could be a project for the Religious Education program, the Scouts, or even the Hispanic Ministry.
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