Mother’s Day was just a few weeks away, when a nursing home called to ask if we would make 200 corsages for the women in their facility.  We didn’t have any flowers.  I didn’t know anyone who knew how to make corsages.  We didn’t have any money.  I wanted to say ‘no’ but she told me how sad Mother’s Day was for their residents.  Some of the moms had outlived their children.  Some children didn’t call or come on Mother’s Day.  Some had never had children.  They were all sad.  I said ‘yes’. 

But, the Friday before Mother’s Day I still had no flowers and no money to buy them.  I told my husband my problem and he said, “get your mind back on your mission and everything will be all right.”  I went to Wolfe Nursery and picked out stuff I thought might turn into corsages if it had help.  I walked to the check-out place wondering how I would tell the cashier I had no money. 

When I got there, he said, “Are you Inez Russell with Friends for Life?”  I said “yes” and he said there is someone here looking for you.  I told him that wasn’t possible because no one knew I was there.  He took me to find Doris.  She said, “When I woke up this morning, I asked God who to give this money to and He told me to come find you.”   She gave me two twenty-dollar bills.  When the cashier rang up my corsage parts, it was $39.94.

I took the stuff back to our office and dumped everything onto a table.  I was sitting there looking at all the parts when a tiny elderly lady named Ida appeared at the door.  She said “what are you doing”.  “I am trying to figure out how to make a corsage”. She smiled and said, “I love to make corsages.  Can I help?” Three other ladies came by who also loved to make corsages.  I never did learn how to make them.  They made them all and delivered them to the ladies for Mother’s Day.