DEAR ABBY: I am the director of nursing at a nursing home in Oklahoma City. I recently received a phone call from a woman who asked for the name of a resident who had no family members living. I asked her why, and she explained the following:
Her mother had been in a nursing home for the last few years of her life. The caller had worked in nursing homes and had seen firsthand that many residents had no one to visit or care about them. After her mother died, on Mother's Day, rather than leaving flowers at the grave, she chose to give them to one of those residents in need. She said it had always given her a warm feeling to brighten up someone's life, and she felt her mother would applaud her decision. She never leaves her name; she just signs the card, "Hope you have a great day." The resident never knows who sent the flowers.
I thought this was a wonderful idea, and chose someone I thought would appreciate the bouquet. This gesture so warmed me that I'm sharing it with you, in the hope that you'll share it with others. Please do not print my name. -- ANONYMOUS IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR ANONYMOUS: What a lovely idea. I'm pleased to pass it along to my readers.