It was May 2012 in the beautiful Ojai Valley of California when Betsey Stewart, Activities Director, who works on the weekends, prayed for a miracle. She had accepted a position to lead activities for the poor seniors at a Medical skilled nursing facility in Ojai after being an Activities Director in Memory Care at a wealthy senior facility years before in an upscale community. Many of her 65 residents in Ojai were of the WWII generation and in 2012, money had been limited by the ED to give the Mothers, who were very, very poor, a proper Mother's Day brunch and gift.
One Mother was 107-year-old Marie. Another was 94-year-old Blanca. These were very poor women. Some had outlived their money and were in a Medicare/Medical nursing home in affluent Ojai, California.
Betsey prayed for a miracle for her dear WWII Mothers. Then, out of nowhere, an Orchid Company from Carpinteria, California, knocked on the nursing home's front door on Mother's Day with 50 orchid corsages to give to us "for free" to these poor Mothers. Betsey was stunned. God had answered her prayer. Every precious Mother received her orchid corsage.
The CNAs pinned these on the Moms, and we played WWII Glenn Miller and Orchestra music, their generation. And they loved the song "Dear Mom." We played that song in the Activities Room, had a simple brunch for them, and loved our Mothers, many in their 90s and 100s now, and wished each one "A Happy Mother's Day" and a "Thank you for being such a Great Mother."
They all had smiles on their faces and knew they were loved and appreciated. WWII generation, the best of the best.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra 1941
My Mother
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